My brother's perfect mistake
by SalvatoreQuinn
Summary: When Damon's younger brother Stefan tells their wealthy parents that his one night stand is pregnant, shit is about to go down. In order to solve the situation and save the family reputation, Damon reluctantly agrees to an arrangement that will forever change his life. Contains mature themes. AU/AH.
1. Chapter 1: 6 weeks

**AN;** Don't worry, nothing wrong! Just updating the chapter now that my betacleared it for publishing.  
Thank you for beating the story. =)

I know you're patiently waiting for updates – they're coming. I promise.

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 **6 WEEKS**  
DAMON

"So, there's this girl," Stefan rolled his eyes to show his annoyance, "she claims that I got her pregnant."

Silence – complete, utter, shocking silence.

Damon dared himself to glance at his mother Lynn. She seemed to have frozen in her seat, while his father essentially exploded and leaped across the room within the next five seconds. Uh-oh. His brother was officially in deep shit.

"She– You what?" The dark and authoritative voice of Giuseppe Salvatore echoed throughout the living room, causing every family member to turn their heads to look at him.

Stefan casually shrugged his shoulders and pouted – as if continuously spreading his seed wasn't a big deal. Damon knew that this wasn't the first girl to get pregnant by his younger brother. His indiscreet manners and his obvious inability to use protection had started to leave marks no one would be able to hide from the rest of the world for long if he continued to walk the line.

Their parents had taken care of it the first time it had happened and the second time as well. Third time's the charm.

Honestly though, Damon couldn't wait to hear his little brother trying to weasel his way out of this one. He leaned back in the leather clad armchair and raised his eyebrows, trying to hold back a devilish grin. Oh, this was guilty pleasure in it's finest form – it was sadistic of him, but it warmed his heart nonetheless.

Usually, Giuseppe Salvatore only raised his voice towards lazy employees and his eldest son. So, Damon couldn't exactly deny how a tingling sensation of not being the one who'd screwed up spread some kind of warmth inside him. He wanted to comment on the stupidity his brother managed to soak himself in, but didn't. Gloating wasn't an option and out of respect for his mother, he kept his mouth shut. He knew how to behave. Well, most of the time anyway.

By now, their mother was silently crying in her seat as Giuseppe scolded Stefan like a kid that had accidentally forgotten to do his homework for a week or two. Although, the situation before them shouldn't have come as a shock to anyone in the family. What was playing out in front of his eyes wasn't unusual at all. Stefan managed to screw up by screwing someone and their dominant, insanely rich and well known father had to fix the rest – swoop in and save the day like so many times before.

Stefan had made it a habit to drop bombs on the rest of the family every now and then. It caused earthquakes within their fort and Damon didn't like it. He was starting to get both tired and quite frankly, pissed and annoyed with his younger brother's antics and stupid behavior. If he didn't know how to have safe sex, he shouldn't indulge. It was a fucking miracle Stefan hadn't fathered kids all over town by now. His reputation preceded him unlike anything else. Gossip and rumors had a habit of circling his brother – unbeknownst to most people – and more than half of it was true.

Damon let his mother cry and eyed his father. The man looked absolutely furious and after yelling and cursing for about fifteen minutes, the father, husband and respected businessman poured himself a double and sat down in one of the armchairs, eyeing his youngest son. Even a blind person would be able to tell that the man wasn't pleased. A few awkward silent minutes passed. No one uttered a word. His mother cried while Stefan tried his best to act remorseful.

"Fine." Giuseppe grumbled. "How do you suggest we solve this mess?"

"I don't know. I'm kind of freaking out if you haven't noticed yet. I don't want a baby mama following me around."

Damon scoffed and his father sent him a stern look of disbelief. He raised his hands in defeat and the older man turned his eyes towards his youngest once again.

"Did you use a rubber?"

"Of course!"

"Alright. I suppose we'll just have to follow the usual procedure then. Tell her you'll pay for the expenses regarding the abortion. And, for the the love of all things holy, start using protection before you impregnate the entire town!"

"I can't."

"What do you mean, you can't? Don't force me to send you to a sex education class! If you know how to get lucky – which you obviously do – then you better know how to use a freaking rubber, son. Or have I raised an idiot?"

"She's keeping it."

Wrong answer. Damon wanted to wince, waiting for the explosion that would – without a doubt – come within the next five seconds or so.

Giuseppe shot up from his seat and rushed over to Stefan, raising his hand, ready to strike. But, instead of making his threat reality, the older man managed to gather his inner strength in order to stop himself.

Damon could hear the gasp that escaped his mother as the liquid-filled crystal tumbler hit the wall across the room, shards of glass spreading over the floor. Here we go again.

"She's what?" Giuseppe roared, his face turning into a deep red within seconds.

Damon turned to look at Stefan who immediately started to feel sorry for himself. It wasn't a new method of his. His brother would eventually even try to force some tears to escape in order to get Daddy to see how mistreated his youngest child felt.

But, Damon knew the truth – Stefan wasn't exactly a paragon for good behavior. No. Okay, sure, Damon could admit that he hadn't been easy as a teenager either. He'd created a lot of trouble but he'd always taken care of his own problems. And fine, his father had bailed him out a couple of times, but mostly for minor things – like, fighting with other spoiled brats like his brother.

He'd been friends with his brother once. They'd been really close back then – they'd been brothers for real – almost equals in their parents' eyes. He couldn't remember why or how, but they'd slowly started to grow apart from one another and it had hurt at the time.

As Damon eyed his twenty-one year old brother he realized that the six years age difference clearly mattered. Their parents still considered Stefan to be a baby as they obviously continued to treat him like one. The saddest part of it all? Stefan didn't even seem to mind. He was obviously fine with being the baby – no responsibility, no chores, nothing to care about except from himself. The mere thought of the young man actually fathering a child was unlikely. And as mean and crude as it might sound, the girl would be better off without his brother no matter what she chose to do with the repercussion of falling into Stefan's bed.

"I talked to her. I tried to explain it. I really did." Stefan offered and tried to look as hopeless as he actually managed to sound. "Seriously, I tried to talk some sense into her. She's eighteen and wouldn't listen. I didn't know what else to do but to tell you. I'm sorry. Dad, please, you have to help me. It's like she wants to ruin my life."

Damon rolled his eyes. His brother could be such a drama queen. He knew Stefan well enough to know that he was faking most of it. It was all just an act to get his way. It was annoying and more or less, disgusting.

It was easy for him to notice how the wheels continued spinning intensely in his father's head. Giuseppe turned on his heels, caught his wife's gaze and ordered – he never asked – her to call Rose Gibson, the company's publicist and private lawyer.

"Don't you worry, boy. I'll take care of it. Go pour me another one, will you."

Stefan nodded and walked hazily across the room. He stopped at the bar and poured their father another strong one. Stefan wiggled his eyebrows at his big brother but Damon leaned forward, ignoring him. Several thoughts and unanswered questions brewed within his mind as he quirked his lip and rested his elbows on his knees.

"What's her name?"

"What?" Stefan seemed baffled at the sudden question and interest coming from his brother, and raised a cocky eyebrow that Damon recognized all too well.

"Who knows, Amanda? Or Emma? Honestly, I'm not sure," he shrugged, clearly uninterested as he handed the tumbler to their now seated father. Giuseppe grumbled and gulped down the amber liquid.

"You're not sure?"

"I didn't exactly pay attention to the details. If you know what I mean. We were otherwise occupied. Names were unnecessary."

Oh man, his baby brother was becoming way too confident for his liking. He was slowly starting to remind him of someone he knew. Namely himself.

"Good job, brother," he snorted. "I don't know how the fuck you manage to screw up so badly."

"Hey, if you'd cared about me you'd know exactly what's going on in my life. But you clearly don't care. You know, I could seriously use some brotherly advice right about now but all you do is complain."

It was a known fact that they'd been close throughout their childhood and maybe they'd grown apart when Damon had packed his stuff after deciding to go live on his own. He didn't really know what had forced them apart – he suspected it could be a number of reasons – him moving out of the mansion and living on his own was a strong contender among the reasons.

Truth be told, he'd been forced to live a year on his own – no money coming from daddy's wallet and no financial help other than being fed a huge family dinner every Thursday night. It had been a shitty experience but he'd learned a thing or two.

Honestly, Damon rarely complained about anything. Most of the time he didn't really give a shit and it had worked out well for him so far.

What bothered him the most was that people around them actually seemed to accept his brother's behavior for what it was. Many people called Stefan the big baby behind their parents' backs. Damon had been the one to start with the nickname during a party at their summer mansion four years ago. But, what Stefan didn't know, couldn't possibly hurt him.

"Oh, so you want brotherly advice?" Damon got to his feet and Stefan took a step towards him, his face contorted with unshed anger. "Stop messing around and get your shit together."

"You're one to talk, aren't you? You accuse me of fucking up but it was Katherine who got screwed because of your mistakes, wasn't it?"

"That's none of your fucking business."

Katherine was a subject he refused to talk about. It had been years since that fateful day and he didn't want to think about it, nor did he accept the fact that his douche of a brother brought it up as if he'd been there, witnessing it all go down the way it had.

"Aw, sore spot? I'd feel guilty too if I caused such a mess. You've no right to judge me, brother."

"You need to get your ass kicked." Damon threatened, his temper flaring up with lightning speed.

"That's enough!" Giuseppe placed himself between them and shoved at their chests, forcing both of them to step back. "Apparently, I was wrong earlier – I've raised two idiots."

Damon growled at his brother, clenching his fists, wanting to give Stefan a real piece of his mind. He had no right to bring her up like that. She'd been a sacred part of who he was and hearing her name forced him to feel a rage he'd buried deep inside for so long – it was consuming him and he almost panted with anger. His brother clearly wanted him to snap – otherwise he wouldn't have even dared to mention her the way he did.

"We need to sort out the mess you've caused, Stefan. Go check on your mother, tell her to send Rose to my office. I need to talk to your brother."

* * *

A couple of long hours later and Damon stared dumbfounded at his father, who was nodding at Rose Gibson. The young attorney had explained it over and over for about two hours but to no avail. His head was close to exploding with the information they'd thrown at him. Damon felt as if he was drifting off into space with nothing to pull him back down to Earth and help him to land securely on the ground beneath him. He feared he was close to losing his shit – none of the things that had been said and briefly discussed made no sense, at all.

He blinked a couple of times and frowned. He glanced between his father and the woman, who'd been asleep when his mother had called her and urgently demanded her presence at the mansion. Although Rose Gibson had been asleep when his mother had called, she'd dressed up in a grey dress suit and had even managed to paint her face – she looked decent and well put together, considering it was almost four in the morning.

Damon would've loved to be asleep. His father on the other hand seemed strongly caffeinated and paced back and forth in his office, muttering under his breath. His father would stay awake for days on end until the mess was cleaned up. The older man wouldn't be able to sleep – at least not when the entire Salvatore reputation was in danger because of Stefan's stupid mistake to put body parts where they obviously didn't belong.

"No."

The answer to the earlier question wasn't a difficult one. It was one of the easiest decisions he'd made in a very long time and he didn't even feel remotely bad about it either. As a matter of fact, Damon felt no need to save his brother's ass this time. He'd done it a lot of times before but this was too much for him to even consider helping him with.

In all seriousness though, it would been a great lesson if his father actually let Stefan handle his own shit for once. The young man would need to grow up and take responsibility for his actions, sooner rather than later. Why not start with his latest mistake? Although, the mistake wasn't of a minor character this time. Money could potentially buy a lot of things and could get one out of serious trouble if needed, but – a one night stand that had resulted in a pregnant eighteen year old wasn't a minor problem.

Damon grabbed the back of his neck and massaged the sore spot. It was obvious that his father had a plan A, B, C and probably a plan D formed as well – just in case the first couple of plans failed to work properly in their advantage.

"Think about your brother."

"Oh, I am," Damon snorted and rolled his eyes at the stupidity of it all. "Let him deal with his own shit for once, Dad. It's his mistake, not mine."

He could see the vein in his father's forehead pulsate rapidly and the older Salvatore seemed quite stressed out about the current situation.

Damon could already tell that his father's patience was wearing thin – well, tough luck, old man. He didn't feel sorry for him in the slightest and he didn't feel bad about declining and refusing to help.

Giuseppe Salvatore wasn't one to beg or ask for favors but here he was – asking his oldest son to take the hit for his brother in order to save the family reputation. It was so ridiculous he wanted to laugh out loud at the whole thing. It wasn't just laughable but extremely crazy as well. The girl would never agree to the options Rose had splayed out on the coffee table.

Damon sighed heavily. He wanted to go home, fall into his bed and forget about the arrangement he'd been presented with. However, he knew his father and the man would – without a doubt – manipulate him into agreeing. Fuck, none of this was good. He shook his head, desperately trying to find a valid point as to why the entire thing was out of line – even for his slightly deranged father.

Rose dared to eye them as she scribbled something on her notepad. Damon glanced at her as she started to rumble around in her bag, in search of another notepad – how many of those did she need in order to take note? He wouldn't agree to anything.

She interrupted them before they could start an argument loud enough for anyone to hear within the next five miles or so. Damon looked at her, meeting her grey eyes. She inhaled sharply.

"The truth is that this could mean very bad publicity for the company and considering the fact that your father is running for mayor next election – well, lets just say that we kind of need to solve this situation before it turns really ugly."

Giuseppe nodded encouragingly towards the young female and turned back to Damon – who still looked like a ghost had entered the study and scared the shit out of him. He wanted to tell his father to go to hell but kept his mouth shut, knowing it would only make matters so much worse.

"I know that it's a lot to take in, but you need to think about your mother. A scandal like this one – you know she would lose her social status among her friends within seconds. Are you seriously willing to shatter her dreams in order to be selfish?"

Damon laughed at the irony and got to his feet – no longer able to sit still. He knew he wasn't perfect but he was far from selfish. He loved his mother but didn't really give a shit about her social status – besides, all of her so-called friends had been bought to worship every step she took – more or less, due to the fact that their husbands wanted their CEO's wife to be as happy as possible. Giuseppe wasn't an easy man to please and his employees weren't stupid. They knew to tell their wives to keep Mrs. Salvatore happy. They all knew how much influence Giuseppe's wife had on him – though the man would never admit it out loud for anyone else to hear. It was beyond childish behavior and Damon didn't understand how any of them could stand the false pretense of friendship. It was all about money, social status, and power. His mother had always wanted it all and somehow, his father had shoved it at her – probably in hopes that it would keep her mouth shut and her demands on the down low.

"Hypothetically, let's say that I agree and I'm not saying that I am," Damon crossed his arms over his chest. "what would I have to do in order to set things straight? The damage is already done. I won't force someone to have an abortion. That's too crazy, even for you."

"If Stefan remembers correctly, she's eighteen. She doesn't know what she wants. You can charm anyone, that's what makes you such a great defense attorney," Giuseppe smirked devilishly.

"I might be a defense attorney but I'm not going to convince her to agree to any of the options you've presented. And she might be young but that doesn't necessarily mean she's stupid."

"Are you sure? She did sleep with your brother."

Damon rolled his eyes at the crude comment and stretched his neck. He was sore and his muscles ached. He needed sleep and a long vacation from the chaos that was his family.

"Damon, I understand that this might seem a little crazy but this isn't a contract per se. It's more of an arrangement to keep her from talking openly about what's actually happening behind the curtains, so to speak. And like you said, she's young, she might realize that this isn't what she wants. Either way, we need to eliminate the problem from exploding in our faces. And, if I may say so myself, I don't think your brother would be able to pull this charade off if she agrees to the second option. No offense to you or your father, but Stefan is way too immature to deal with option two – if that's what she'll choose." Rose said with a stern look.

She was only four years older than his twenty-seven years, yet, she managed to squint at him with a hint of authority that surpassed his own at the moment.

Damon didn't feel the least bit tempted to say yes and have himself agree to be his father's puppet once again. His father wanted the problem to go away as fast as possible but Damon didn't feel like doing it without gaining something from it.

His father leaned in and stroked a hand over Rose's back and she flushed. He eyed them suspiciously, and raised an eyebrow in slight confusion. Damon noticed how Rose tensed once she realized he was watching their interaction carefully. His father put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it carefully and nodded towards the door. She hurried to excuse herself and disappeared through the door with a not-so-hidden-blush on her face.

Damon tilted his head to look at his father, who seemed rather occupied with the young woman who lingered just about a second longer than what was necessary in the doorway. By that look alone, he realized exactly what was going on between the two of them. He'd seen that look being thrown at his father before.

"Ah, shit. You've got to be fucking kidding me."

"I beg your pardon?" Giuseppe acted slightly taken aback at the words coming from his son.

"Nice one, Dad. What the fuck are you doing? You're cheating on mom, aren't you? How long has this thing been going on?"

"You're a lot smarter than I give you credit for sometimes."

Damon glared at his father and shook his head dismissively. This wasn't his father's first affair. It was just one of many and he wondered whether or not Rose knew about the others. Not that he actually cared about Rose or her feelings towards his father. She was an adult and responsible for her own actions.

What really bothered him was that his mother had known about the cheating for years without confronting her husband. Giuseppe's mistresses had been some of her closest friends, until they simply weren't anymore. His mother had been keeping her thoughts to herself and always smiled her way through the tabloids.

"Damon, I need you to do this for me. And, not just for me though, but for the company and for the entire family."

"I'll be putting my life on hold for my brother's mistake. How is that fair? You're asking a lot of me."

"Well then, what do you want? Just name your price."

"Ha, my price? You're willing to pay me for cleaning up Stefan's shit?"

"Yes. That's exactly what I'm saying."

Damon stared at him incredulously and ruffled his hair. He was slightly suspicious and to his own surprise, the look of pure stress and doubt on his father's face slowly managed to convince him to at least try to gain from the upcoming sacrifice.

"Have you ever heard of the word 'compromise'?"

"No, I don't think so. What does it mean?"

"It simply means, that I'll do whatever it takes if you agree to give me something in return."

"What's that?"

"I want fifty percent of the company's stock portfolio."

"Thirty."

"Forty five." Damon countered.

"Thirty five."

"Forty five."

"Forty," Giuseppe eyed his son.

"Forty five, that's my last offer, or you'll just have to clean up Stefan's shit on your own."

His father sighed, seemingly defeated. "Forty five."

He would do it for the family's reputation and the payoff would be big. Eventually. Damon had wanted a piece of his father's company since the day he'd realized his father would hand it over to his little brother one day.

The proposal and arrangement presented in the contract was one he would've never agreed to otherwise. The company was important and so was the family reputation but he would be crossing a line he didn't want to cross, agreeing to the arrangement.

He just hoped everything would go as smoothly as his father had been explaining it to him. His life would come to change and no one could've prepared him for the whirlwind coming his way.

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	2. Chapter 2: 7 weeks

**AN;** A huge thank you to my beta – thanks for helping and encouraging when necessary!

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 **7 WEEKS**  
 **ELENA**

Elena groaned as the morning sickness got the best of her. She stumbled into the bathroom, her body shivering with cold sweat and nausea. She barely made it to the toilet before falling to her knees, emptying the contents of her stomach. The stench and burning sensation of orange juice caused her throat to feel sore and swollen at the same time. She cursed herself for not sticking with tea and roasted toast. Orange juice and bacon had seemed like such a nice craving until she'd finished the last bite. Yikes. Never again.

She wanted to curse herself for the stupidity that had controlled her during the party at the beach. Numerous shots of alcohol had resulted in her first hangover and a one night stand — her first and only one night stand. Ever. The casual hookup wasn't for her. Things had been slightly awkward and weird. Truthfully, she didn't even remember much of what had happened during the sexual encounter.

A couple of former classmates had dragged her to a party at the beach — hosted by Stefan Salvatore and his notorious, rich, and savage buddies and she'd had to admit that she'd been intrigued at the time. It had been so different from what she was used to. She had a couple of casual friends but no BFFs. So she'd convinced herself to enjoy life for a night and party alongside her former classmates. She'd been drinking, dancing, flirting, and having actual fun – for a while.

The beach house had been so luxurious and Stefan had seemed quite genuine as he'd pursued her, however, it had obviously been an act in order to get into her pants. Well – if her morning sickness wasn't proof enough – he'd definitely succeeded.

She'd been on her back for approximately five minutes. He'd finished before she'd had the chance to actually enjoy it and then, he'd fallen asleep. On top of her. Almost squeezing her into the mattress.

A part of her felt ashamed of the fact that she didn't remember much of it — another part of her was grateful beyond belief. It wouldn't be much of a happy memory. She'd been so drunk and unfocused at the time. It was embarrassing to even think about it. She'd made bad choices and she was currently paying for one of them.

Four weeks had passed since the brief encounter and she'd been pacing back and forth in her small bedroom one morning, afraid of as much as glancing towards the test.

Her mother had been equally nervous as she'd entered the room with a supportive nod on her face as they'd counted the minutes together. Mother and daughter had shed tears of fear, regret, worry, and somewhat a little happiness as they'd stared down at the test together.

Elena had laughed for a second before hysteria had found her and she'd started bawling her eyes out. Her mother had had to grab her by the shoulders, explaining to her that they would take care of it. She'd let her daughter know that she had options.

However, when the test showed two blue lines, Elena had already decided what she wanted to do. She'd known that an abortion would help her in more than one way – as it was probably considered the easy way out – but then what? Could she ever live with the regret if she– no.

A baby at eighteen wasn't exactly something she'd call optimal but at the same time – she wouldn't be the first teen to have a baby at that age.

She was aware of her options and an abortion wasn't one of them – neither was adoption. She had made her choice – she would keep the baby. It was the right choice for her – that was all that really mattered – at least that's what she told herself on her bad and doubtful days.

She flushed the toilet and leaned back against the cold tiles, briefly resting her head in her hands before pulling her brown hair into a high ponytail.

Her current hormone fluctuation felt like PMS. Although, PMS was putting it much too mildly. Ha! It was more like PMS delivered from Satan himself. She wasn't exactly miserable due to the situation but still, she did feel rather uncertain of her own strength regarding it all. The situation had brought her into new territory and she was both scared and nervous beyond belief. A baby. It was so huge and still so very unimaginable.

Thankfully, her mother had reminded her yesterday – with a stern look on her face – that she would have almost nine months to adjust to the pregnancy. That reassurance had calmed her down a bit. She felt drained, bloated, and crankier than usual.

According to the OB she'd visited with her mother the other day, the embryo was the size of a blueberry. It was normal for her to experience some cramping and fatigue. She'd been told to rest and relax, but she couldn't shake the feeling of impending doom coming her way.

Needles to say, Stefan hadn't taken the news well. He'd freaked out to say the least. He'd called her a gold digger and other things she didn't even want to repeat in her own head. No shit, she'd thought. He'd been a jackass. She'd hoped that Stefan would stay out of it. She'd texted him that she wanted nothing to do with him, he didn't have to get involved. She didn't want his money. But, then again, his name was Stefan Salvatore and his father practically owned half of the city. He'd texted her back, twice, since he found out. The first text asking if she was serious, the second one, simply informing her that someone would stop by her house and solve the problem for her. She didn't know him all that well and couldn't determine if Stefan would actually send someone to do his dirty work. He wouldn't, would he? She had no idea.

She'd also felt rather hurt at the fact that he'd referred to the little berry inside her as a problem needing to be solved. How could he be so indifferent to what they had managed to create during their brief, somewhat drunken and slightly chaotic encounter? How could he just simply turn away from something that he'd been a part of creating? It was unfathomable for her, but, she was no longer hurt by his insensitive words – she was mad.

* * *

 **DAMON**

Damon knocked on the front door of what most people would probably call a typical suburban house. He knew from the file Rose had handed him, that the Gilberts weren't rich.

They had a white picket fence, a porch that seemed slightly rotten and a yard full of scrap metal and some furniture standing by the garage. Well, fuck. Yikes. The Addams' house did exist. He rolled his eyes at the ridiculous thought and sighed before knocking once again.

He typed away on his phone, pondering whether or not to go to New York over the weekend. Man, he needed a break from all the shit going on. He could only hope the girl would make it easy for him.

His job at the Gilbert's was supposed to be simple – offer the girl enough money to go through with the abortion, give her some extra cash to play around with in order to keep her mouth shut. Or, she could potentially go with option number two and ruin his life for the upcoming next year and a half. To say he was scared shitless was an understatement. Easy. What could possibly go wrong?

"Hello."

Damon looked up from his phone and had to blink a couple of times before meeting the brown eyes staring back at him. He felt his heart constrict in his chest. Damon had to admit that he was a bit taken aback as he eyed her from head to toe. He was shocked to say the least but being followed by the paparazzi since the tender age of three – he knew how to hide his emotions from unwelcome glances.

His brother had described Elena as an ugly duckling – just a random girl with unbeautiful proportions. At that exact moment, Damon realized three things. One, Stefan sucked at describing people. Two, not even the picture his father's private detective had managed to find looked similar to the person in front of him. Sure, she was rather everyday looking, dressed in skinny dark jeans and a sweater. Three, she wasn't a girl, not really. No. Young woman sounded a lot more correct and appropriate considering the situation. The female stared back at him with mature eyes. She seemed older than eighteen.

He wasn't exactly looking forward to what was to come but he shrugged and tried to focus at the task at hand. It had to be done.

"Can I help you?" she offered and stroked a hand across her face.

"Are you Elena Gilbert?"

"Yes." she nodded, eyeing him with a raised eyebrow and rather suspicious look. "Who's asking?"

"I'm Damon Salvatore. I'm here on the behalf of my brother, Stefan."

"What about him?" she managed to ask without stammering.

"Let's just say that we have a lot to discuss." Damon concluded with a superior look plastered on his face. "The little berry you're carrying is causing a lot of trouble. My family is offering to fix the problem for you. So, there's basically two options for you to choose from. You can have an abortion and a shitload of money or you can move in with me and play house for a year and a half. My family is constantly in the spotlight so think of it as a charade where we're a couple in love, engaged and ready to have a baby. We might as well go through the arrangement straight away unless you're opting for an abortion."

She stared at him, seemingly taken aback and dumbfounded. She blinked at him. Damon wasn't completely sure but he could've sworn she paled in front of his eyes as she started wavering.

"You're looking rather pale. Are you okay?"

"I can't–"

Damon caught her in his arms before she hit the ground. She simply slumped against him and he scooped her up in his arms and carried her – bridal style – over the threshold, kicking the front door shut behind him. Easy, yeah right.

He made his way through the kitchen and placed her on the sofa in a small yet cozy living room, wondering whether or not he should've been easier on her. Poor gal, she'd seemed older earlier but as he slowly and with interest eyed her – he could tell she was still a teen.

And, for a second or two, he actually felt sorry for her. Meeting his brother and ending up in Stefan's bed had changed her entire future – did she even realize what she was getting herself into? She was young, innocent and she had practically her whole life ahead of her.

So, no, he couldn't understand the beauty in having a baby. Sure, he realized that babies were a blessing – not everyone got the chance or opportunity to have one, but, seriously? She was eighteen and she'd obviously decided to end her life and ruin her future with motherhood. Yeah, no, he couldn't wrap his mind around it.

However, the contract was perfect – created with such ease and diminished with slightly delicate instructions and rules that she would have to follow if – if – she agreed to the terms and decided to have an abortion. His family was offering her a lot of money. She would be a total lunatic not to accept the first offer.

On the other hand, he'd seen the emotion in her eyes the second he'd mentioned Stefan's name – the young woman would never go through with an abortion. The refusal had been written all over her face so Damon would have to recollect his thoughts and get his shit together. He was far from elated about what it would actually mean for him if she picked the second option – except from a serious lack of sex and naked women in his bed. Shit!

Damon pulled a hand across his face. They would have to be seen in public together so that the tabloids could snap pictures of Giuseppe Salvatore's oldest son and his new girlfriend. They would have to act all lovingly among people, she would have to move in with him and– fuck!

It was all PR and Damon knew the importance of the image his family would be sending to the public. The press and the sloppy tabloids would have a field day. Elena would become a public person – followed and closely scrutinized by everyone – whether she liked it or not.

He shook his head and glanced down at her. "I sure hope you're up for it, darling. It's gonna be one hell of a ride."

A female shriek coming from behind him had Damon turning to face a brunette that was an old looking version of Elena, who he assumed was her mother. He tried to remember what her first name that had been scribbled down by the private detective his father had hired, but no, he couldn't remember it.

"Who are you, and what are you doing with my daughter? Get away from her."

He quickly raised both his hands in a surrendering gesture. The woman reached for a spatula from the kitchen counter and walked towards him as he got to his feet. He had no idea what damage she thought she'd be able to do with a plastic spatula, but, he kind of had to admit that she looked pissed and ready to defend her offspring from him if necessary. He could only hope that the woman knew about her daughter's condition so that he didn't drop a freaking huge bomb on her. He could only take so much as one fainting woman at a time.

"Mrs. Gilbert, calm down. My name's Damon. She fainted and I carried her inside. I'm here to talk about your daughter's pregnancy."

"How–how would you– How would you know about her pregnancy?"

"She spent a night with my brother. Stefan Salvatore, does it ring a bell?"

"Oh. Oh, dear. I didn't– I recognize you." She blushed crimson and lowered the spatula and stepped into the living room. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to threaten you. I'm usually very calm and collected. I just, I saw you and my daughter splayed out on the sofa and I just– I'm sorry. I do recognize you from some of the tabloids. Your family's well known in town. Once again, I'm sorry for my behavior."

"It's alright. I'm the one who should apologize. I might've been a little harsh on your daughter."

"What happened?"

He watched the woman as she made her way over to Elena. She stroked a hand across her daughter's cheek and he cleared his throat, forcing her to turn towards him once again. They had a lot to discuss and the sooner the better. Maybe the mom could give him the answers Elena hadn't been able to, before she'd fainted.

"Look, we have a situation that needs to be solved. My brother and your daughter–" He didn't really know where to draw the line, so he paused for a second, carefully choosing his words. "They shared a night together and we both know that it ended up in your daughter being pregnant – which obviously must've shocked all of you as much as it shocked my family."

"Well, yes. It's not what you wish to hear from your eighteen year old but I'll try to see the positive in it, the best I can. She doesn't need the kind of negativity your family's presence brings her. Apperntly, your brother doesn't intend to be a part of the child's life. So leave her alone. She's surrounded by family and she doesn't need any financial help. Elena would never ask for anything, nor would she spread it to the press, if that's what you're worried about. She's smarter than that."

Damon nodded and tried to collect a part of his brain that he seemed to have lost among the words Mrs. Gilbert just uttered. The woman was persistent and it was easy to see where the young girl had gotten a part of her attitude from. he hadn't seen much of it before she'd slumped against him but, it had been there nonetheless. Mother and daughter had fierce spirits – no doubt about that.

"I understand that this isn't optimal but my family tend to do things a little differently from others. My brother is not ready to father a child and the best thing would be to take care of the problem as quick as possible."

"My daughter have already made up her mind, so if you're here to bribe her – you're sadly mistaken – she's not having an abortion and she's not taking any money from you or your family. In fact, she doesn't even want your brother to be involved – which I consider both smart and stupid by my daughter at the same time, but, she's stubborn and like I said, she's made up her mind. You can take your money, Mr. Salvatore. I'm sure you can find your way out by yourself."

Damon sighed and clenched his jaw. He wasn't surprised by her words and the obvious loathing she raidiated towards him as he eyed her. However, he wasn't used to so much resistance. His father had urged him to use his charm but it wouldn't do him any good at this point. He would surely come across as an even bigger ass and that wasn't good for his case.

"Mrs. Gilbert, I'm not here to force your daughter to do anything she doesn't want to do. I'm a defense attorney and I know that I have no rights to tell her what to do, I can only speak my mind and hope that you listen and take parts of it into consideration. And, nor am I here to bribe her into anything she's not comfortable with. I'm, truth be told, simply here to offer her the choice to choose from the two options I'm supposed to present. The rest is – quite frankly – up to her."

"What kind of options are we talking about?"

"How much time do you have?"

"Young man, I'm a mother. When it comes to my children – I've got all the time in the world."

* * *

 _Be kind enough to leave a review or just a smile =)  
Love, Quinn_


	3. Chapter 3: 8 weeks

AN: I'll try to have all the chapters published as soon as possible.

* * *

 **8 WEEKS**

 **ELENA**

The embryo was now the size of a raspberry and Elena had started to feel less and less interested in the Salvatore family. However, she found herself standing in front of her mirror, nervously fidgeting with her hands, trying to get her heart to stop racing so rapidly in her chest. She felt like throwing up and eating chocolate cake with buttercream frosting at the same time – which was weird to say the least.

A week had passed since her meeting with the Damon Salvatore and she'd finally started to forget and erase most of his indecent behavior when another bomb dropped. Yesterday she'd received a letter from the the Salvatore's doctor, confirming that she was scheduled for a prenatal paternity test in a couple of weeks.

So, apparently, it was a non-invasive test, but still, the mere thought of it caused anger to bubble up inside. She'd read a lot about the different paternity tests since then. The one she was supposed to go through with was a non invasive one and costed around 2000 $. The Salvatore's had already paid for it as they wanted to keep it on the down low and out of the press.

Elena's family didn't have that kind of money – so, a part of her was grateful. But, it also felt as if someone else was controlling her life, steering her every move no matter how or what she felt about it.

She growled in the back of her throat. Really? A paternity test? Stupid Stefan. She'd felt tempted to hunt him down and preferably kick him very, very hard in the nuts. It wasn't like he didn't deserve it, was it?

And besides, Stefan had no plans on being involved, so why on earth did they have to do a paternity test? It wasn't like she was planning on blackmailing the Salvatore's into paying her millions to keep quiet, no! All she wanted was for them to just leave her alone. She didn't expect them to do anything for her. She didn't want their help.

The folder containing her contract was thrown onto her desk and she sighed. Damon had given her a couple of days to decide what to do. He'd urged her to read it and ask him questions if she had any.

She'd asked about the rules and restrictions. Some of the paragraphs had been ridiculous.

 _# No social media updates i.e. instagram, facebook and twitter among others._

 _# No talking to the press, tabloids or journalists._

 _# No dating._

No problem, she'd thought. She didn't have many friends, she wasn't a fan of social media, she loathed being the center of attention and had no intentions of dating. So, no problems there.

Other rules included the following: nutritious food, vitamins, daily – yet mild – workouts, a controlled weight gain during the pregnancy and so on. Overwhelming was an understatement.

Her parents had tried to soothe instead of steering her into a situation they didn't seem fit for their daughter. They'd had a discreet friend of her father contacting a cousin who was a lawyer. The secretive man had checked the documents and the contract she'd been handed.

She'd signed the contract three days later and was currently getting ready for a date with Damon Salvatore – young billionaire, douche and her supposedly, new charming boyfriend.

She rolled her eyes at her reflection. Elena had spent the better part of the day trying to compose an outfit that could potentially live up to the description she'd received yesterday – casual and relaxed. She'd honestly expected it to say she would have to buy an expensive designer dress or something like that, but no, casual it was. She didn't complain.

She'd opted for a maroon colored shirt that hung loosely around her shoulders, showing off her protruding collarbones and slender neck, a pair of white jeans shorts and beige Converse. She'd gathered her long hair in a loose braid.

She rarely used makeup – she'd never felt the need to, but as she eyed herself in the mirror, she decided to at least use some mascara.

Elena tried to slow her breathing but it was difficult. Placing a hand below her navel, she inhaled deeply. She was nervous, nauseous and to top it off, slightly dizzy – which was considered normal according to her own doctor.

The sound of the old doorbell forced her to move as she hurried out of the room.

She wasn't ready. Gosh, she wasn't ready. She just wanted to run back up the stairs and forget everything that would have to be played out during their staged date.

Number one, the paparazzi's would most likely notice them as Damon circulated the press on – almost – a daily basis. Number two, they would have to act all lovey dovey with one another – share one or two smooches, all while pretending to enjoy their time together. Yeah right, enjoying her time with him? As if!

Elena inhaled sharply once more, trying to concentrate as she opened the door and found him staring back at her. Holy–! Blue eyes locked with hers.

He was dressed pretty casually, normal – if you could call it that – dark jeans and a grey t-shirt, his hair ruffled into a complete mess. Wow. He was– Well, he was breathtaking, she could allow herself to admit that to her inner goddess.

He just simply flicked his head at her, motioning for her to follow him down the porch.

Had her parents been home – they would've likely been hanging out through the kitchen window in order to eye the two of them as they walked across the lawn and stopped in front of his… black Ford Mustang. Wait a minute – was he driving?

"Are you driving?" She blurted out without really thinking twice about it.

"Yes. Do you want to see my driver's license?"

"Uh, no. I'm fine." She mumbled, her cheeks heated with embarrassment as he opened the door for her.

Elena had always imagined the entire Salvatore family to have a couple of private chauffeurs to drive them around. Not that she would complain any time soon – she'd just never been close enough to even touch a car like his, let alone sit in one, heading on a date with a billionaire.

She wasn't an expert on cars but she could still enjoy and appreciate a car like his. Truth be told, it was gorgeous and as crazy as it might sound – sexy. Knowing she would never be able to buy a Ford Mustang of her own, she decided to simply enjoy the ride.

Her thoughts wandered as she wondered how much money– No! Elena, no, don't go there.

Honestly thought, she didn't care about the money or the simple fact that he, somehow didn't flaunt the money the way so many other people seemed to do. Her father had always said that, you don't have to wipe your ass with dollar bills just because you can.

* * *

He brought her to the Ice Cream Bar of Dreams down at the beach and Elena tried not to smile as he actually opened the door for her and helped her out of the car. No man had ever opened the door for her like that before. It was… chivalrous. And, she didn't really know whether she liked it or not yet.

She wavered in her step as dizziness hit her and he grabbed her arms, holding her firmly in place, pulling her almost flushed against his chiseled chest. The soft fabric of his shirt soothed her shaking palms and the electricity that buzzed below her hands caused her breath to hitch in her throat.

His eyes locked with hers and the buzzing emotions traveled down her spine, causing goosebumps to instantly appear on her arms.

"Are you okay?" He eyed her cautiously.

"I'm just– Just a little lightheaded, that's all."

"Are you hungry? We could go somewhere else if you want a proper meal or something?"

"No. No, this is fine."

He nodded quietly, looking at her, a frown present on his face before offering his hand for her to hold. The buzzing energy continued to spark as he intimately laced his fingers with hers. Elena could've sworn that the dizziness exploded with a newfound ferocity and there was nothing she could do about it.

Once they found themselves inside the Ice Cream Bar of Dreams, Elena realized that the name was rather accurate – to say the least. The place had everything you could ever want – ice cream with hundreds of flavors, different mixes, frozen yoghurt and sugary toppings that could potentially cause a serious sugar high.

"What do you want?"

"I don't know." She bit her lower lip, studying the writings on the menu that covered most of the wall behind the cashier. "Plain frozen yoghurt I suppose."

"Yoghurt?" He raised an eyebrow. "You don't like ice cream? Or chocolate? There's hundreds of toppings to choose from."

Elena blushed. Was he stupid? She'd basically studied the entire list of food that had been sent over to her with the details of the contract. He must know about the rules and regulations, right?

"I'm not sure I'm allowed to eat anything in here except from the frozen yoghurt."

"What do you mean?" He frowned as he looked at her, obviously confused.

She quietly mentioned the contract and the list of foods and to her surprise he shrugged at her words.

"Considering this is our first date – I'd say screw it. So, one more time, what do you want?"

His voice was so husky and hoarse that it caused her intestines to heat up. What was wrong with her? Elena could basically feel how butterflies fluttered inside her as he smirked at her, gazing at her with his intense eyes. His eyes. Oh, man. She didn't want to admit it, but damn it, they were so amazingly gorgeous. Penetrable.

Okay, no. She didn't like him. The date shouldn't matter to her, it was only temporary. He's Stefan's brother which naturally makes him an asshole, right? She tried to focus on the task at hand while her inner goddess rambled on and on about his good looks.

* * *

 **DAMON**

Damon had wanted to groan as she'd made her way over to his car. She'd been looking like something he wanted to slice and dice and then devour. He had to admit that she was beautiful. And, he still hadn't been able to figure out why Stefan didn't find her attractive. Elena Gilbert was a wet dream walking around amongst men and she probably didn't even know it. Hell, Damon himself had even had a hard time focusing on the driving part as they'd left the curb.

They'd arrived at the beach, they'd ordered ice cream and Damon had asked if she would like to go for a walk on the beach with him – while they devoured the enormous scoops of ice cream he'd bought for them.

She'd picked vanilla and strawberry swirl and he'd opted for bourbon butter pecan. The sunset splayed out across the ocean, causing the waves to glimmer beautifully in the light.

"Good?" He glanced over at her.

"Yes, very." She hummed, clearly pleased.

She walked barefoot beside him and he couldn't help but to smile at her as she dipped her feet in the water. There was something so genuine about her – yet, he couldn't pin it down. What was it?

Their date had been going well so far. He was still slightly nervous, knowing he could probably fuck it up if he tried hard enough.

He'd noticed the paparazzi's earlier and knew – without a doubt – that they were closing in on them. Damon was used to it – had always been in the spotlight due to his family and the money they had. But still, he wasn't fond of seeing his picture in the tabloids or in the different magazines. Rumors started so easily that it was almost laughable sometimes. Sure, rumors usually held some semblance of truth but, the rumor about him dating a pornstar was just outrageous.

He knew a lot of people and had ended up partying at one of his father's many night clubs in New York a couple of years ago and well – there'd been both strippers and pornstars visiting the same night. Someone had seen him partying with them and well, people had a tendency to make up their own minds without a second thought.

All of a sudden, he started to wonder whether Elena had read about him and his family and the constant rumors surrounding them before? The thought made him sweat and he had no idea why. What was wrong with him? It wasn't like he cared about what she thought, did he? No, of course not. Why would he?

They walked in silence for a while, finishing their ice cream.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." Damon nodded as they continued to walk by the shore. He noticed her as she glanced at him from the corner of her eye.

"Why did you agree to this whole thing? It's not like it was your fault."

Straight to the hard questions. Great. He wanted to sigh deeply and run for the fucking hills but to be honest – he'd expected her questions to erupt sooner or later. He couldn't blame her for thinking about the arrangement and everything in between. Even Damon had a couple of questions he wanted to ask her as well. They would eventually be living together for a couple of months – it would be inevitable for them to get to know one another. He didn't expect them to turn into best friends or anything remotely close to that – but, he still hoped for mutual respect between them.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but it's just business. It sounds harsh but it's true."

"Yes, it does sound very harsh but in some weird way – I guess I understand as well."

"I get that this is all very overwhelming for you but my family holds a fortune and this is basically how we do things." Damon explained.

"Oh, don't worry. I don't want your money."

"No?" He raised an eyebrow, making sure to sound cocky.

"Don't be an ass." She chided, causing him to smirk.

"I'm just saying that, this is how all my relationships are established. Arrangements are vital for things to stay low-key and the best part about it? No one gets hurt in the end."

"Wow, you do sound positive. Once you meet the one for you, contracts won't be necessary."

"Uh, you're one of those?" He cringed.

"What? You don't believe in true love? That's just sad."

Damon rolled his eyes at her. Was she being playful or honest? He honestly couldn't tell. However, there was clearly a lot of layers to the young woman walking beside him.

"I don't believe in true love. I don't believe there's a soulmate for me or for anyone else either for that matter."

"So, you believe that we're all predestined to – to what exactly? Jump from partner to partner for the rest of our lives?"

"You're quite perceptive." Damon pointed out, desperately wanting to change the subject. He wasn't interested in discussing his beliefs with her.

He stopped and stared at her. He tilted his head, curious as to what she was thinking. He tried to see through her but she blushed crimson and turned towards the ocean. She'd just blushed but she still didn't seem to be even the slightest bit attracted to him – which was perfectly fine. He just hoped it wouldn't ruin his plan on kissing her. He'd seen another couple of paparazzi's further up the beach and knew he would have to sell the kiss in order for everything to look real and convincing.

He said her name and she turned to look at him, a question resting quietly upon her face.

"You're beautiful."

She seemed rather unfazed by his words and just nodded with a soft smile. He stepped closer, got all up in her face. He invaded her personal space and once his hands found themselves resting on her hips – she inhaled sharply. So, she wasn't completely unfazed by his close proximity?

Their eyes locked and he felt a bolt of unfamiliar electricity rush through his limbs, causing his entire body to buzz slightly. Damon pulled at the hem of her shirt, bringing her even closer.

"Don't freak out, but, there's a couple of paparazzi's close by and we kind of have to sell this thing. So, I'll kiss you. Once." He whispered the words, almost grazing her lips with his own.

He hoped she understood that it wasn't a suggestion on his part. It was a demand.

He was so close that he could feel her breath on his lips. She shivered and blinked to affirm his words. Damon dipped his head, his lips so– She turned away from him, averted her eyes. Was she nervous? Surely she'd been kissed before – considering she was eighteen and had ended up in his brother's bed.

He searched her eyes, cupped her cheeks and used his thumb to stroke the flushed skin ever so lightly. The second her eyes met his, he pulled her even closer. And then – then his lips landed on hers. They were soft, and still slightly cool from the ice cream she'd consumed earlier.

Just when he was about to pull back – and honor the promise of one kiss alone – she opened her mouth, inviting him to deepen the kiss if he wanted to. Damon knew he shouldn't –a part of his sensible brain screamed at him to stop, break the kiss and walk away – but, it was impossible.

He was tentative at first, almost uncertain of what to do but once her tongue sought out his – he kissed her back. And feared, that nothing would ever be the same again.


	4. Chapter 4: 10 weeks

**AN;** I know you're patiently waiting for updates – they're coming. I promise.  
I've decided to publish chapters before they've been beta read because you're all so supportive, so bare with the errors.  
What can I say, I'm only human.. ;) They'll be checked eventually, but for now ignore the errors.

* * *

 **10 WEEKS**

 **DAMON**

The smell of freshly brewed coffee spread throughout his office as Damon skimmed through the various articles online. He found several pictures of Elena and the word secret girlfriend being the most common headline attached to it. Most of the tabloids had huge headlines printed but rarely any information whatsoever, so he wasn't worried about the rumors. Although, he had to admit that he was a little concerned about Elena and how she would react to being the newsworthy gossip in town.

He'd been dating blondes his entire life so the paparazzi's had obviously been thrilled to see him with a dark haired young woman on his arm.

A photo of the two of them down at the beach caught his attention. Someone had snapped a picture of her glancing up at him and Damon found himself – involuntarily – smiling. The picture was innocent enough but still held some sparkling electricity. He zoomed in on her face and tilted his head – she was quite stunning.

They'd bought ice cream, they'd talked, they'd made out – and, in all honesty, it had been one of the hottest make out session he'd ever experienced but he'd never admit that out loud for anyone to hear. She'd blushed crimson after he'd found the strength to pull away from her mouth and he'd eventually drove her home and dropped her off. It had been a nice first date. Fake, but nice nonetheless. It had all been an act for the cameras and if the articles and pictures were any indication – they'd bought it.

The weird part was that they hadn't talked or seen each other since that day at the beach and he was starting to feel somewhat, amped up and excited for their next get together.

He found himself missing her witty mouth and the carefree spirit she'd showed a tiny piece of. She'd been so sure of herself as she'd talked about soulmates and the kind of love he knew didn't exist in the real world. He'd been close enough to experience something close to love a long time ago and it had fucked him up real good. He'd never go back there. Didn't want to think of her.

Damon shook his head and growled at his own thoughts. He had to stay on the path he'd laid out for himself. He wasn't interested in Elena in any kind of way but could honestly admit to himself that he'd found her to be rather intriguing. She was beautiful and he did find her very attractive but that was all. He didn't want his brother's leftovers – because, truth be told – that's what she was, wasn't she?

Stefan had been quick to take off in the family's private plan and was most likely occupied with drinking and sleeping his way through the bars of Los Angeles.

He was mad at his brother and furious at how their parents just accepted the stupid behavior of their youngest boy. Not that he'd expected a thank you from Stefan but his brother hadn't even sent him a text, no note, no letter – nothing. Not a single fucking word. And, maybe, that was considered a good thing – because honestly, Damon felt like kicking his little brother's ass. As of right now, Stefan residing in Los Angeles might be the safest way to keep him alive. Sure thing, Damon could hire a hitman but hey, that would be way too easy. Sooner or later, he'd give his brother a real piece of his mind and it wouldn't be pretty.

He'd thought of hunting him down, popping up at a bar somewhere and well – beat the crap out of him but in all honesty, Damon didn't have the energy to do so.

As for his estranged parents; they acted as if things were finally back to normal and the dysfunctional relationships between the family members mended into silence and obedience. His father went on about the company, only interested in work, while his mother occupied herself with planning the company's upcoming charity event and meeting her friends for afternoon tea. None of them had asked about Elena or anything regarding their future grandchild. They'd simply thrown the reins to him and expected him to do his best – which meant failure wasn't an option. Damon had lived with that kind of pressure his entire life and didn't know what else to do but to deal with the shit being thrown at him.

Damon closed his laptop, grabbed the back of his neck with both hands and leaned back in his chair. He preferred being the one in control so it was quite stressful not being the one pulling the strings behind the curtains, so to speak. He had so much on his plate right now that he barely slept through the nights without waking up sweaty and panting, his heart racing in his chest. He wasn't unfamiliar to stress but the whole arrangement had him walking on eggshells from time to time.

He took a sip of his coffee, heaving a deep breath, his shoulders slumping. He turned back to his laptop, opened it and checked his calendar. He didn't have anything else planned for the rest of the day, so a run would most likely help him calm down from the erratic distress he was currently feeling. He wasn't used to the knot in his stomach and he didn't like it – didn't like it one bit.

He checked the rest of the calendar, realizing that Elena had been scheduled for the prenatal paternity test this morning. He didn't know what the clinic required in order to perform the test but knew his family had paid for it already. Fucking Stefan!

Nor did he doubt that Stefan was the father. Alright, he didn't know Elena that well yet, but it was easy to tell that she didn't care about money or the status coming with it. She hadn't tried to blackmail his brother into giving her money or anything else for that matter – except from leaving her alone. She'd stepped up, had been honest, letting Stefan know that she was carrying his future child.

He continued to scroll through the calendar and realized that his father's team had schedule for Elena to move in with him on Saturday. Two days from now! Shit! Was he absolutely clueless or just stressed out of his fucking mind? Elena hadn't even seen his place yet and the mere thought of her moving in with him was weird. He'd had girlfriends but he'd never lived with anyone, let alone a pregnant teenager. So truthfully, a dark part of him wanted to run screaming for the hills.

* * *

ELENA

Elena smiled at the doctor as she motioned for her to follow her into a white colored room. It was so sterile and had the hair at the back of her neck stand on end.

She'd asked her mother to come with her. Elena feared everything that had the word blood in it and hated it when she had to get her blood drawn. As a kid she'd passed out during a medical exam and the fear of everything concerning hospitals or doctors still had her heart racing furiously in her chest.

The female doctor sat down in front of the computer and quickly wrote something down, looking at the screen before turning to face mother and daughter, clasping her hands together, her excitement and curiosity shining through. Elena wanted to be excited but had to fight in order to keep her breakfast down.

"I'm Dr. Amelia and you're here for the prenatal paternity test, am I right?"

"Yes." Elena nodded, swallowing the bile threatening to rise in the back of her throat.

"So, first things first. Who'd you sleep with? Was it one of the brothers? Damon? Or maybe Giuseppe?"

Caught of guard and taken aback, Elena glanced at her mother, shocked at the – rather rude – forwardness of the person sitting opposite them.

The doctor suspecting she'd been with one of the brother's was one thing, but Giuseppe? Oh yikes, that was just… disgusting.

Was this a common thing? Did the Salvatore men's women end up here or at the abortion clinic? How many women were there? The thought was unsettling and her nausea got ten times worse.

"Don't you worry. I've known the Salvatore's for a long time and I've taken care of their – well, how do you say it – earlier troubles and mistakes before. God, knows they've made lots of them. However, they've never asked for a NIPPT before, so I suppose you're keeping it? The abortion center is just down the hall if you change your mind."

"She's here for the prenatal paternity test." Miranda said sternly, eyeing the woman with so much motherly ferocity that Elena feared her mother would actually slap the woman in utter rage if necessary.

"Of course, well, are you aware of what a prenatal paternity test is?" Dr. Amelia asked, chuckling as if some of the earlier topics were hilariously funny. She eyed Elena warily, her dolled up face questioning.

"Yes." Elena cleared her throat, trying to recollect her racing thoughts. "I mean, I've read about it on the internet but– no. Not really."

"Okay, so, the prenatal paternity test that we are going to do, is non-invasive which basically mean that we'll draw some blood and send it to the lab. It's a new test but it's over 98% accurate and can be performed from 9 weeks of pregnancy."

"What are the risks? Because I read on the int–"

"There is no risk to the fetus." Dr. Amelia interrupted. "However, the test does not provide any other form of genetic information about the fetus – such as genetic diseases or gender."

Elena inhaled sharply, so nervous that she could barely sit still. She didn't care about the gender, all she wanted was for the berry to be healthy and strong.

"So, Stefan then?" Dr. Amelia cooed eagerly.

"So, what about Stefan?" Elena asked, fidgeting with her hands, grateful that her mother grabbed them reassuringly.

"He stopped by a couple of weeks ago and left us with some of his blood and a cheek swab, so I take it he's the alleged father. And again, don't worry, I'm used to the dirty details. That boy is special, don't you think?"

"I'm not–" Elena was at a loss for words.

"He's not much for relationships, that one. Neither is the other two. So, tell me, what's the story behind the two of you? Did you date him? Or was it just a one time thing? I mean I see this often."

"That's really none of your business."

"I see." Dr. Amelia huffed, clearly offended. "How far along did you say you were?"

"Oh, she's approximately ten weeks." Miranda cut her off. "Is there anything else you need to know in order to draw her blood? The name of her elementary school or her shoe size, perhaps?"

Her mother squeezed her hand and Elena sighed, thankful for her mother's quick and rather sharp tongue. Dr. Amelia continued to gruff in clear disapproval of the behavior of her patient's mother but asked no further questions.

* * *

"Thank you, Mom." Elena breathed as they walked over the parking lot, trying to recall where on earth they'd parked earlier.

"Oh, hush honey." Miranda waved her hand dismissively.

"I'm serious. You were a badass, Mom."

"I was, wasn't I?" She chuckled. "None talks to my daughter that way. She was such a preposterous, unwelcoming woman. And the things she said about Stefan's father, such rudeness. I wanted to slap her."

"Mom!" Elena chided, trying to hold back the fit of laughter that wanted to escape her.

"You do realize that we have to report Dr. Amelia, don't you?"

Elena shivered. She didn't want anything to do with the female doctor. But, if she knew her mother, Miranda wouldn't back down from a fight. Her heart was always so pure and she didn't let much go unnoticed unless she couldn't change it for the better.

"Elena, she broke protocol. There's supposed to be a doctor-patient-confidentiality and she just broke it."

"Mom. She's a friend of the Salvatore's. They obviously trust her for a reason." Elena didn't want to defend the doctor but she couldn't help it – she didn't want to stir up trouble.

"Fine, but we'll get you a new doctor."

"I'm not disagreeing with you."

"Are you sure we parked he–"

"I don't know. You need to get a beeper for your car."

They found her mother's car within the next five minutes and before they opened the doors to get in, Miranda stopped in her tracks, turning to face her daughter.

"You need to know that, this is just the first of many, honey. You'll meet women like her every day, they'll judge you but you can't let that affect you."

"I know." Elena nodded seriously.

To be honest, she expected to be judged. After her date with Damon down at the beach and her photo making its way to the tabloids and numerous newspapers – people had started to notice her. Basically meaning they snapped pictures of her as if she was a celebrity or making comments on her relationship with Damon – if they saw her out and about. So far, none of them had been rude or threatening but still – it was rather eerie, knowing that people read made up stuff about her on the internet and all of a sudden believed they had it all figured out.

* * *

"Come on, Duke. Let's go." Elena said as she walked through the lobby, her dog trailing after her without as much as a single glance towards the other people around them.

She'd trained him well and he was almost better off the leash than on it so once they got in the elevator, she fished out a doggy treat from the back pocket of her jeans. He sat down immediately, raising his paw.

"You're such a good boy." She praised before leaning back against the wall.

Yesterday's appointment at the clinic had caused her to bawl her eyes out the entire ride home, while being comforted by her mother. She'd been so shocked by Dr. Amelia and her snoopy ways and rude behavior. Elena had tried to tell herself that she was just very over-emotional but her mother had continuously agreed that the woman had been rude and Elena had decided that she was not going back there for her check ups anymore.

She would rather just visit Dr. Flowers private practice on the outskirts of town. She'd adored that woman since forever and she'd always felt welcome and well taken care of at her practice.

Dr. Flowers had been the one delivering her aunt Jenna's and her husband Alaric's twins. There was a certain family connection there, Dr. Flowers being Alaric's mother's sister in law.

Elena made a mental note to book her upcoming appointments with Dr. Flowers instead of Dr. Amelia. She shuddered, she wasn't one to judge people but she hadn't liked that woman one bit.

Duke noticed her apparent distress and pushed his nose against the inside of her palm – making sure she knew she wasn't alone. He wagged his tail leisurely and Elena sighed.

They were heading up to the penthouse apartment which consisted of 8,000 square feet divided into three floors, had a terrace facing the outer part of town, two outdoor pools and more space than she could've ever dreamed of. Damon had sent her pictures of the apartment yesterday so that she could plan to have things remodeled if she didn't like the place. She'd laughed at his words but he'd assured her that he was absolutely serious. He'd told her that she could redecorate her own bedroom the way she wanted and she'd been unsure of what to answer.

It was all so crazy and she had been in a constant stressed out mode that seemed to tighten its grip around her whether she liked it or not. She hated the feeling of not really knowing what was to come. She was nervous, already aware of the fact that she didn't exactly fit into the world she was about to enter.

The elevator pinged as it came to an abrupt halt, causing her to stumble a little.

"Let's go, Duke."

Her boobs felt sore as she carried a lighter box of her favorite pocket books out of the elevator. She'd never been one of those who'd experienced sore and tender boobs before having her period. As pregnant though… She groaned as she placed the box outside the door to the apartment that would soon become her permanent home for some time. She stretched her arms into the air, inhaling sharply before knocking on the door. A young, short, good looking valet opened the door for her and she raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Am I at the right place? Is this Mr. Salvatore's penthouse?"

"Ah, Ms. Gilbert." The younger man smiled at her before greeting Duke with a pat on his head. "I'm Luca. Welcome to the penthouse. Mr. Salvatore's taking care of some business but will be with you shortly."

"Thank you."

"Oh no, don't mind that Ms. Gilbert." Luca stopped her as she attempted to grab her box from the floor.

"I don't mind doing it mys–"

"It's my job." He insisted, motioning for her to enter the door. "Are the rest of your things still downstairs?"

"Yes." She nodded. "I had to leave them in the lobby. My parents were supposed to help me but had to go in for an emergency today so, here I am..."

"You could've just called Mr. Salvatore. He's very intent on helping you with everything you might need help with, remember that. Why don't you head on inside and I'll go get the rest of your things."

Luca left with a simmering smile on his face and Elena glanced down at Duke and shrugged her shoulders before crossing the threshold.

The foyer was huge with a white and slightly curved staircase leading to the second floor. She realized while walking up the stairs that it was like entering another world. She was overwhelmed by the luxury and feared that she wouldn't be able to feel comfortable in her own skin while staying at his place. It looked so delicate and – well, so fragile? Art covered the walls on the second floor and the living room area was so huge that you could easily fit sixty people in there without it even feeling the slightest bit crowded. The couch was huge, grey and inviting.

"I don't think you'll be allowed on that couch." Elena whispered to none in particular and Duke sighed as if understanding the meaning behind her human words.

Shortly after they'd rummaged through Damon's movie collection she'd found the kitchen and an apple to munch on.

"Hi, you made it."

Damon greeted her wearing dark jeans and a black t-shirt. His hair was so ruffled that it looked like a tornado had raked through it and she offered him a small smile as he rounded the kitchen island.

"Hello to you too."

"I'm sorry I couldn't greet you properly down at the lobby. I had urgent business that required my full attention."

"It's okay." Elena nodded reassuringly. "We found our way."

Duke let out a low growl that sounded more like a happy squeal and Elena chuckled as her dog eyed Damon with interest. She told him to stay even though he'd never had a hard time remaining in his place before. His tail wagged back and forth with a snapping pace.

* * *

DAMON

"What is that?"

"Damon, this is Duke. Duke, this is Damon."

"I don't care if his name's Daisy or Donald Duck, what is he?"

Elena frowned at him as if asking if he was stupid or just an asshole. He tried to keep his cool.

"He's a red golden retriever."

"I can see that." He snarled, annoyance present in his voice. "What's he doing here?"

"Well, he's my dog so–"

"So what? You thought– He– no. No way. He's not staying here. I can't have a dog."

"Oh, my God, I'm sorry–I, I– are you allergic? I should've asked. I'm sorry."

"No! I'm not allergic. I just don't want a dog." Damon argued, there was no point in sugarcoating it, he wouldn't bend on this particular subject.

"But I– Look, he's very well behaved, he's potty-trained and all. I've trained him myself since he was a puppy. Ain't that right?" Elena stated, looked down at her dog, scratched the floppy ear, causing Duke to wag his tail with newfound ferocity.

Fucking hell. No. Damon did not want a dog. Sure, it wouldn't exactly be his dog but still – Duke would be living in his apartment, eating and gnawing at shoes and furniture, barking and howling at the moon whenever he got the chance.

Damon wasn't stupid, he knew exactly what would happen if he allowed her to bring Duke into his home. He would be the one feeding him in the mornings, cuddling him, he would be the one bringing him along on his weekly runs and he would fall head over heels in love with the retriever – just like he'd loved his own retriever, Sawyer, as a kid. The memory of his best furry friend had him reel in his emotions, trying to control them instead of letting them show. Fuck.

"He'll keep me company." She said, looking at him, biting her lower lip. "Dogs are considered a mood-booster. They can help reduce stress, anxiety and even depression."

"Are you depressed?"

"No."

Stupid question, he thought and eyed her. Damn it. Did she have to bite her lower lip every single time she talked to him? The slowly, unwanted building strain in his jeans caused him to cough, trying to distract her from continuing gnawing at that very delicious looking lip of hers.

"I promise to look after him. You can just ignore him and he'll eventually ignore you too."

Damon frowned, trying to push his dirty thoughts to the side and steer clear of becoming a dog owner, he would never allow himself to go through that emotional rollercoaster again.

"Look, I'm not a dog person."

"Have you ever owned a dog?" She questioned.

"That's not the point."

"How can you possibly know if you've never had a dog?"

"I just know!" He growled. "Besides, he looks evil."

"He's a retriever not a bloody werewolf!"

"I don't care! He's not staying!"

* * *

To his surprise she'd liked her room and had refused to redecorate or buy new furniture. He'd insisted that she'd let him know if she changed her mind and he would take care of it. He'd even offered to help her unpack but she'd declined so he'd given her some space.

Three hours later and Elena had gotten a tour of the penthouse and all her things had slowly been unpacked.

Her room was on the other end of the second floor. He'd checked in on her an hour ago and she'd been fast asleep on top of the bed and he'd pulled a blanket across her petite form before closing the door, letting her rest.

Finally back in his home office, working and planning ahead on some upcoming work related projects, Duke was resting his head on his sock covered feet and Damon shook his head.

He'd given in to Elena.

Duke had been the tip of the iceberg and as he glanced down at the dog – he realized that life had taken a turn and he didn't know whether to be excited or quite frankly, even more scared than before.

The simple, yet mere thought of Elena's parents coming for dinner tomorrow had his heart pounding hard in his chest. He wanted them to accept him, hoped for them to be as civilized as possible – hoped for them to make it easier for him and their daughter. The situation was weird and uncommon to say the least.

But, as Duke snored under the desk, Damon inhaled deeply and allowed himself to close his eyes for a second. Everything would be okay. It had to be.

* * *

 _Be kind enough to leave a review or just a smile! =)  
/Quinn_


	5. Chapter 5: 11 weeks

**AN;** A huge thank you to my beta – thanks for helping and encouraging when necessary!

* * *

 **11 WEEKS**

 **ELENA**

It had been a while since she'd visited her parents at work and she hadn't realized how much she'd missed the combined vet station and shelter. It had been a huge part of her life up until she found out that she was pregnant and her world had turned upside down. She'd spent every free and waking moment helping her parents as they tried to make ends meet every month. The shelter depended a lot on people volunteering and on donations from both public and private areas. Her parents put all their money into their vet station and the shelter – they didn't have much to brag with but they worked hard and shared love and joy with everyone.

Caroline Forbes, the twenty-five-year-old blonde bombshell her parents had hired as a secretary three years ago – had taken her completely by surprise as she'd showered Elena with pregnancy magazines and some googled parenting advice.

According to Caroline, Elena would have to go on a babymoon, sooner rather than later. She had no idea what the heck a babymoon was but hadn't been completely surprised when Caroline had explained that it was mainly a romantic getaway with your partner. She'd tried not to cringe. Not gonna happen, she'd thought to herself.

 _"A babymoon! Wouldn't that be awesome? I mean, you're carrying a Salvatore and that family is insanely rich, you could go anywhere! Like Europe! However, your baby is now as big as a lime! How cute is that? But the head is still huge in comparison to the body, so it would look totally weird if you gave birth now!"_

It had taken a lot of inner strength and composure for her not to just slap some sense into the blonde. Sure, she meant well – Elena knew that - but sometimes, Caroline had the concentration span of a– Well, let's just say, that she had a tendency to drive Elena to the brink of insanity without even knowing it.

So, yes, Elena felt rather overwhelmed as she left the animal shelter with Duke by her side.

She inhaled deeply, enjoying the fresh air as it circulated around her. Duke was on his leash, carefully sniffing every single bush, tree, and rock he could possibly find. He was proudly carrying his enormous stick as they made their way down the sidewalk.

She was allowed to go outside on her own as long as Duke accompanied her. Damon had actually insisted on security following her every step of the way but she would've felt smothered – therefore, she was thankful for the fact that Damon had accepted Duke – at least to some extent. Her dog did have the ability to charm the coldest hearts – not that she considered Damon coldhearted.

Elena shook her head. Her thoughts were running wild. Her body still felt completely haywire, her hormones raging havoc, living their own life as constant nausea plagued her on a daily basis. Sure thing, she'd been told that the first trimester would be the notoriously worst one considering the hormone fluctuations and all the different and new pregnancy symptoms appearing. But, let's just say that she was close to a breakdown. She wanted to cry but the tears seemed all bottled up.

To top it off, she was constantly tired, felt like a zombie – looked like one as well and fell asleep before counting to ten, every single night. The fatigue had her annoyed. She wanted to feel energized and more like herself – but, all in good time, right?

Other than that, she felt bloated and slightly annoyed with the fact that her bras had started to feel less stretchy. Her breasts had started to feel a lot heavier and oddly enough, warm and beyond sensitive. Not like they hurt or anything but her nipples, geez – just a simple brush of her own fingers could have her puckered and beg for caressing hands. She'd dreamed of Damon stroking her nipples with his bare hands, causing her to arch into her mattress before waking up, gasping and wondering what the hell her brain had been trying to conjure up and without her consent…

Yeah, yeah, she was aware of the fact that she couldn't control her dreams but had also decided not to read anything into it. A dream was just a dream – it didn't mean anything. But, it had still been embarrassing to meet his eyes during breakfast.

* * *

Elena led her parents through the foyer and up to the second floor, smiling as they awed at the exclusive interior design. Her father had been rather displeased with everything regarding the arrangement and Damon's sudden involvement but he'd promised to behave. Grayson Gilbert was a man of his words and Elena noticed her father leaning down to give Duke some love as he came tripping through the living room with Damon in tow.

And oh, the man was gorgeous – dressed in a pair of dark jeans, a grey button-up shirt with his sleeves rolled up, the hair messy, his blue orbs glimmering as he met her eyes.

Her breath hitched in her throat for a second or two before the two men shook hands with mechanical movements. Her mother – on the other hand, leaned in to give Damon a quick hug, thanking him for inviting them to dinner and Elena felt a tug at her heart.

"Grayson brought you a bottle of his favorite whiskey." Miranda handed him the gift bag, smiling. "Nothing too fancy but he promised it's high quality."

"I'm sure." Damon nodded, a smirk crossing his face.

"You like whiskey, don't you?" Grayson wondered and Elena couldn't help but hear the distant echo of resentment in her father's voice.

"I do. Thank you, sir."

Damon was the gentleman her parents had always wanted for their daughter but never expected her to find in a million years. Okay, not that she'd found him, not that any of this thing playing out before them, was real. It was an act, wasn't it? Their possible forced marriage would be legit but not in the biblical sense. This was just an awkward dinner between business partners.

Elena sat opposite Damon and her mother, while her father sat comfortably on her left. She peered at the blue-eyed man and couldn't help but to smile as he talked to both her parents with ease. Her mother was a lot less tense than her father but as the dinner had progressed, Grayson had seemed to lighten up quite a bit, joining in the conversation without trouble.

He'd grilled Damon with a few questions about the living arrangements in the penthouse, whether they shared a bed or not – which her father already knew they didn't – causing Elena to blush so furiously that she'd feared she would combust. Other than the I-wanna-sink-through-the-freaking-floor moment, she didn't think it could get any worse. She'd relaxed too soon.

"So, Damon, why don't we stretch our legs and have a heart to heart while the women clean–"

"Dad." Elena glared at him. "I don't think–"

"I'm sorry honey, domestic chores, and all that crap, I know it's important to you but if the boy intends to live with you and take care of you," Grayson shrugged his shoulders. "Then I need to put him through the test and see if he's up for it."

"No, but Dad that's not–"

"It's fine." Damon insisted, looking at her. "I need to talk to your dad anyway."

Silence swept across the room and Elena closed her eyes, slightly annoyed with her father and his obvious way of stating he was indeed the oldest of the two and had to have a talk with his daughter's future husband.

Her mother pierced the eerie silence as the two men stared at each other.

"Alright, boys. Go ahead and we'll do the dishes." Miranda nodded towards them both. "And then we'll have dessert."

* * *

 **DAMON**

Damon had smiled at the older woman. She was so kind-hearted, genuine and easygoing. Nothing like his own mother. Truth be told, he still feared the day Elena would have to meet his parents in person. It would most likely end up in a bloodbath. He shrugged uncomfortably.

He pushed the thoughts aside as he motioned for Grayson to follow him to the terrace overlooking a smaller part of the city, the honking of cars and sound of people, very distant but still noticeable if you paid enough attention.

"You have quite a place here. Truth be told, I'm rather impressed." Grayson stated matter of factly as he inhaled the fresh air, his eyes wandering over the outdoor lounge set in one corner and the jacuzzi and well-stocked bar in the other end of the terrace.

"Thank you, sir."

"Look, I'd prefer it if you called me Grayson. People that use Sir or Mr. Gilbert have the audacity to make me feel rather old and uncomfortable. Grayson is perfectly fine."

"Yes, Si–" Damon bit his tongue last minute. "Sorry. Grayson."

Grayson squinted at him, his hands shoved deep in his front pockets. "So, you intend to care for my youngest child and only daughter?"

"Yes, sir." Fuck! "Sorry, yes."

"Why? It wasn't like you got Elena pregnant. Does Lord know I'd kick his ass if I ever saw him near my daughter but, shouldn't your brother be the one taking responsibility for his actions? Now, I'm not saying he's the only one to blame for my daughter's condition – it takes to two tango but, it's been gnawing at the back of my mind. What's the big secret? Why you?" Grayson asked, eyeing him intently.

"Ah, going straight for the hard questions." Damon stared back at him, unable to find the right words, uncertain of what to say.

"Tell me."

"My family is– well, let's just say that they're a very complicated bunch of assholes. Some of the time."

"No shit," Grayson mumbled more to himself than anyone else. "Listen, kid, all families are complicated. Mine isn't perfect either. We all have our secrets, lies, and pride to go along with it all, but why would your parents force you to take care of the girl your younger brother got pregnant? You see, I just don't get it. I've twisted it back and forth in my head for a long time but I can't seem to figure it out. And, I don't want to allow my daughter to live with you and then have her go all depressed and miserable because you've been told to treat her a certain way. I can't have you breaking her heart when all is said and done. This arrangement is a big deal for my daughter, she does not take any of this lightly. The constitution of marriage is something she believes in. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"I understand."

"Can you promise me that you won't propose to her unless it's absolutely necessary?"

"I can only promise you, that'll do my best to support her in every way that I can. I know that this is a very weird and inconvenient way to start a potential marriage. And, as for my parents – they don't intend for this thing between us to last forever, and no offense, Sir, neither do I."

"I see. I appreciate your honesty." Grayson rubbed the gruff stubble on his chin. "So, as inconvenient as this is, you decided to play your parents game?"

"It's not a game. Just like I told your daughter a couple of weeks ago – it's a business arrangement. I would never do anything to hurt her on purpose."

"Elena's my baby. I'm her father." Grayson cleared his throat and stretched. "Can we pretend, just for a minute, that this isn't just an arrangement? And that you actually care for my daughter?"

"Honestly, I don't know her that well yet. But, I'm very fond of your daughter." Not a total lie. He'd grown fond of Elena. She was easy to be around. "I want to make things easier for her. My brother is not going to help and I'm– I'm trying to do the right thing. My family might be all sorts of crazy but I do have a conscience."

"Okay, next question. Have you ever raised a hand towards a woman?"

"No, nor do I intend to," Damon promised sincerely.

"Alright, back to my earlier question – why?"

"Why what?"

"Why clean up your brother's mess? I know the value and the unbreakable bond of a family but there's also a fine line between family loyalty and insanity – and you're treading that line very carefully, aren't you?"

"You said it yourself," Damon responded. "There's nothing more important than the bond of family."

"Mhm." Grayson huffed, seemingly accepting his short version of why. "I need a whiskey."

* * *

 **ELENA**

"How are you holding up, hun?"

"I feel swollen, nauseous, unattractive and tired."

"That's normal, honey. But, I meant," Miranda waved at their surroundings, raising an eyebrow. "This. There's a lot of things going on around you right now, besides the pregnancy."

"Oh, yes. Well..." She shrugged casually. "It's overwhelming. It's a lot to process. I still don't understand that there's a human growing inside me. It feels rather surreal. Kind of like I'm dreaming, unable to wake up."

"It'll sink in eventually. What about Damon? Do the two of you get along? Is he nice? I'm worried about you living with him. You don't know him."

"We're as civil as possible. It hasn't been that long yet. As you said, we don't really know each other. I'm scared of being in his way or that I'll annoy him with my presence." She admitted, eyeing her mother as Miranda revealed the plate of cinnamon rolls she'd made yesterday.

With a bit of homesickness tightening its grip on her, Elena smiled as her mother drizzled icing on top and sprinkled the baked goods with powdered sugar.

"Give it a few weeks." Miranda encouraged. "You have Duke and you can still call us whenever you need us. And you're always welcome to come home again, you know that, right?"

"I know." Elena sighed, feeling the emotions bubbling inside her, she cleared her throat. "Speaking of, when is Jeremy coming home?"

Her mother visibly tensed and cringed at the mentioning of her big brother.

"About your brother– He– Well, let's just say he's got news of his own."

"Is something wrong?"

"No, not necessarily. It's just, he's– he's not coming home. Not yet anyway."

Elena blinked at the revelation. Her brother had joined the military at the tender age of nineteen and was now working as a paramedic overseas. It had been a little over a year since the last time she'd hugged him goodbye at the airport and a little less than three months since they'd talked on the phone. The mere thought of her brother not coming home within the near future caused her heart to ache with emotions. She missed him something fierce.

"Did he volunteer for another round?"

Miranda shook her head, shrugging her shoulders, cleaning up the mess she'd managed to create during her earlier ministrations. "Who knows? I just want him home. Safe. He all but gave me a heart attack when he told me he's not coming home yet."

"But he's okay, right?"

"From what he told me, yes, he's okay."

"What did Dad have to say about it?"

"Oh, Christ, I forgot all about that. For heaven's sake, Elena, do not tell your father what I just told you."

"Dad doesn't know?" Elena frowned. "Why haven't you told him?"

"He'll just be upset and there's nothing he can do to change Jeremy's mind. It's a discussion we'll have to save for later. Besides, I wanted to talk to you about Dr. Amelia. We have to do something about her."

"Mom, no." Elena shook her head furiously, knowing exactly what her mother was going to say. She'd even expected it. "Don't, it's not worth it."

"Hun, she broke protocol behaving the way she did. I never got the chance to practice law because I had your brother young but I'm not stupid. Doctor-Patient confidentiality is considered common, ethical law, Elena. She disclosed information about other patients – she violated her position. She broke the law."

"Well I– What do you want me to do?" She replied, pulling a shaky hand through her hair.

"Have you told Damon?"

"No." She exclaimed. "Why would I do that? It's none of his business."

The mere thought of Dr. Amelia's indecent behavior had her heart racing in her chest and her palms sweating. She didn't want Damon to know, didn't want to make things worse.

Elena had handled it on her own – she'd simply canceled all her appointments with Dr. Amelia and had proceeded to book an appointment for her first ultrasound with Dr. Flowers. She'd felt relieved knowing that she didn't have to see Dr. Amelia again.

"He could help you. " Miranda said, a soft yet firm tone to her voice. "I think you should tell him. Allow him to try to do something about it. She's not supposed to get away with how she behaved towards you."

"I don't want to bother him. It's none of his concern. And, I'm sure he doesn't even care. So, please, Mom, just let it go."

"Elena, I still think you should tell him."

"No." She argued. "I'm serious. You leave him out of this."

* * *

 **DAMON**

"What'd you think about tonight?" Damon leaned back against the mirror covered wall of the small space. "Do you think I passed?"

The retriever eyed him as they rode the elevator up to the penthouse.

Damon had offered to take Duke for a walk after Elena's parents had left. She had been tired so he considered the easy solution a win-win and to be honest, he didn't mind a late night walk around the block. He'd needed some fresh air after everything that had transpired during and in between dinner and dessert.

He'd had a heart to heart with Grayson and it had been a decent conversation. The older man didn't exactly trust him, not fully, not yet anyway. Damon could understand the hesitancy to put their trust in him. Grayson hadn't wanted to admit it out loud but he'd involuntarily placed his daughter and future grandchild's safety in Damon's hands.

And then, the brief and rather short but informative conversation with Miranda had, had his head almost spinning out of control with anger during dessert. Oh, the ways he would be plotting his revenge. The doctor wouldn't even know what hit her.

He was well aware of his father's indiscretions and Dr. Amelia's eagerness to help and spread gossip around town. He'd always disliked the woman – she was peculiar in a creepy way that had always managed to make him feel slightly uncomfortable.

According to Miranda, her daughter had kept the situation a secret because she'd been scared to bother him with her trouble and doubts. That information didn't sit well with him either. He had no idea why, but, it kind of hurt that she hadn't talked to him about it.

The familiar sound and the opening of doors forced him to move. As they got out of the elevator, Duke hurried down the corridor, his tail wagging back and forth.

"Are you in a hurry to get back?" Damon commented. "You're such a mama's boy."

The four-legged animal stopped dead in his tracks in front of the door. A soft bark that turned into a deeper, booming sound had Damon noticing how Duke started tripping, spinning around in a circle before looking at him, his ears pushed forward as he returned to stare at the door. As Damon made his way over, Duke started barking loudly, using his paw to scratch at the door.

"What's wrong, buddy?"

Following the golden, Damon hurried through the foyer and up the stairs. He was afraid of what he would find but it didn't stop him. And then, he found her standing just outside her own bedroom door and he searched her eyes in confusion. She was wearing a tank top and fleece shorts. She looked up from Duke, his head tilted in worry. Elena stared back at Damon and he frowned, unable to understand what was– Then he caught the spot of blood on her shorts.

He scanned her over and found that she was holding her hands pressed firmly between her legs, holding them to her center, pressing into her core, almost as if trying to stop the obvious bleeding. The shorts were slowly being covered by blood and the whimper escaping her forced him to gulp.

"I was going to the bathroom and then–" She trailed off, horrified, the hysteria and panic in her eyes growing with every second passing by. "I'm miscarrying."

She started to waver and the pink color that was naturally mixed with her olive skin – that had her looking like a goddess – slowly evaporated before his eyes. Her lower lip trembled and he managed to catch her before she collapsed to the floor.

* * *

 **ELENA**

She felt groggy and sore as she woke up at the hospital three hours later, dizzy and confused. It took her some time to regain full concentration as she tried to rehash what had happened earlier. Blood. Oh, god. Her eyes filled up with tears, her breath hitching in her throat, a hand coming up to stop the sound from escaping. She'd been bleeding. Oh, berry. Tears rolled over and made their way down her cheeks and before she knew it, Miranda burst through the door, hurrying over to the side of the uncomfortable bed, gathering her daughter in her arms.

"It's going to be okay." She soothed, stroking the back of Elena's head, cradling her the way only a mother could – with reassurance and a promise of safety. "You're okay."

"What are you talking about? Nothing's okay."

"Oh, honey. Hush, you're okay now. The baby is okay. Don't you remember what happened?"

Elena shook her head in disbelief, unable to understand what her mother was actually saying. A part of her wanted to slap the woman she called mother on a daily basis. This wasn't something normal people joked about. She'd miscarried. The simple yet horrible reminder caused her heart to break all over again and she whimpered.

"What– but no, I was bleeding. There was blood and–"

"And you are fine."

"How?" She shook her head again. "How's that even possible? Mom, there was blood everywhere. I had blood on my hands, I bled through my shorts!"

"I– I know, hun. The doctor said something about a hematoma in or– perhaps it was on your uterus, I didn't exactly pay attention, I was just so happy to hear that you were okay. Anyway, they did an ultrasound but couldn't tell where the blood came from or if there was a rupture or something. Apparently, these things happen from time to time. It's rare and scary but they assured me that everything was fine. You're both okay, Elena."

She whimpered weakly. "I didn't have a miscarriage?"

"No, hun, you didn't," Miranda replied softly, tears of her own threatening to spill.

"You're not kidding?"

"Of course not!"

A shocked sense of relief rushed over her and she allowed her mother to embrace her as tears of happiness started to fall even more freely, her goblet simply overflowing with the relief, shock and explosive fear she'd experienced in a short amount of time.

* * *

 **DAMON**

He was pacing back and forth in the waiting room while Grayson eyed him cautiously. His chest ached and he had no clue why he was so close to freaking out. He couldn't seem to get a grip on his emotions.

"Damon. Have a seat, boy." Grayson offered and motioned for him to sit down. "There's nothing we can do."

He shook his head but sauntered over to the older man, taking a seat beside him while trying to wipe away the image of a shocked, pale and horrified Elena, with blood covering her hands – from his mind. The picture was etched onto his memory and it seemed to be on repeat, playing inside his head over and over again. He couldn't stop it and wanted to groan out loud. Why had he freaked? He'd been frozen to the ground, unable to move or say anything as he'd stared at her with fear grazing his heart until she'd said the word miscarriage.

Duke had known. Oh, man. He'd known. Damon had always believed animals to have a sixth sense and the retriever was basically proof that he'd been right his entire life.

I'm miscarrying.

Her blood covered hands flashed before his eyes and he pulled his hands over his face, trying to force the memory to evaporate but to no avail.

Her eyes had been so glassy, she'd been shaking and he hadn't been able to form any words at all. He'd been absolutely useless when she'd needed him the most. The incident had turned him into a nervous wreck and he didn't know how to cope with the emotions stirring up inside him. He could barely breathe, the fear of Elena's condition had him fucking restless with the lack of information.

Grayson sat quietly beside him, his chest heaving deeply, eyes closed and hands clasped neatly in his lap. Damon thought he might be praying for a different outcome than the one they were currently expecting.

Miranda practically faltered as she entered the waiting room five minutes later and Grayson hurried to his feet, embracing his wife, kissing her forehead with a hint of worry on his face. Damon got to his feet.

"How is she?"

"She's okay," Miranda reassured them. "They're both okay."

"Both of them?" Damon gulped and his heart leaped in his chest, goosebumps spreading over his body, the hair at the back of his neck standing to full attention. "You mean–"

"She didn't have a miscarriage."

Damon let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. A stone fell from his chest. He could feel his stiff shoulders drop and he almost tumbled down at the brown couch behind him. They were both okay. He closed his eyes, biting his cheek, thanking the higher power for keeping Elena and the baby safe.

"Damon." Miranda began but trailed off as he met her eyes.

"Yes?"

"She's tired but she wants to see you."

* * *

She was propped up with pillows, leaning back against them. Meeting her eyes he offered her a soft smile and apparently, that was all it took for her waterworks to kick into high gear. She wasn't crying silently either; she was bawling and he did the only thing he could think of. He made his way over to her, laid down beside her and gathered her into his arms, embracing her, wanting to shield her with his body so badly it physically hurt him.

He rocked her, mumbled into her hair as she clung to his body, her hands fisted in his shirt, the situation intimate yet nonsexual. It was all so new to him but he didn't mind. He whispered words of encouragement to her, useless nothings but couldn't help himself as she tilted her head to look up at him.

"I've got you, you're safe."

He cupped her cheek, searching her eyes and it hit him like a freight train going through a brick wall. Brown. How could he have missed it? Her eyes were brown and he wanted to stare into them forever, get lost in the warmth of the magnificent colors. And at that moment, he realized that, maybe, just maybe– he was screwed beyond repair.

* * *

 _Be kind enough to leave a review or just a smile =)  
Love, Quinn_


	6. Chapter 6: 12 weeks

**AN;** Here's a long one for you guys! Enjoy!

* * *

 **12 WEEKS**

 **DAMON**

She'd fallen asleep in his arms as he'd rocked her back and forth. He'd stayed with her on the scrawny and very uncomfortable hospital bed for a couple of hours before he'd been heading home to Duke.

She'd had to stay the night for observation but he'd picked her up the next morning and she was obviously starting to get tired of his antics of trying to force her into a calm state of mind because she glared at him from her seat on the sofa.

Yup, Elena had buried herself under three different blankets, cursing under her breath while trying to get comfortable in one of the corners of the sofa. He'd found her in the living room around 6 am and she'd seemed rather miserable and he'd eyed her critically. She'd looked like, well, quite frankly, she'd looked like shit. Not that he could really blame her, the bleeding had caused him to toss and turn throughout the two nights that had passed since the incident as well. Damon would never admit it out loud but he was scared for her.

He'd decided that they would postpone everything that had to do with social appearances – she didn't need the extra stress.

"Damon, it's not your job to take care of me."

"That's not true, it is my job to take care of you." He said as he handed her a cup of tea, sitting at the edge of the coffee table. "Besides, I promised your dad, otherwise he'll have me killed. Believe me, he sounded very convincing."

"Well, he can be scary but you don't have to take care of me." She complained. "I'll be fine on my own. Besides, I'll probably just sleep through the day, I'm so tired."

"And what if you get hungry?" He stated quickly. "Or if you need something?"

"Damon, please, I'm fine. I know where the kitchen is and the bleeding stopped earlier this morning. I'm not sore or anything. I can move without worrying. Besides, the doctor said I'm perfectly fine so don't you worry either. Worrying is bad for the baby."

"I know but you should be cared for, I could talk to Luca–"

"No." She stated firmly, scratching the back of Duke's head and ear as he came to rest his head in her lap. "I don't need a babysitter. I'm fine."

"God, you're so damned determined." He growled, pulling a hand through his hair. His suit felt rather small and tight as he got to his feet. He would've preferred to just crawl back in bed after everything that had happened lately but no, he had things to do. He had to catch up at the office.

"Go to work. I'll stay here, tucked under the blanket, watching Netflix and eating whatever is on that list I've got to follow."

"Don't you dare give a fuck about that stupid list. If you want ice cream, or soup, or chocolate, or a fatty, cheese omelet? Order it from Luca and put it on my tab."

"I can't do that."

"Please!" He almost growled, losing a bit of his calm exterior and Duke tilted his head to look up at him in confusion. "I'm just saying. You've had a rough couple of days, I don't think kale and steamed egg whites will lighten your mood right now."

"You might have a point." Elena nodded, biting her lower lip, eyeing him from under her dark lashes.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have raised my voice."

"Apology accepted." She sent him a wry smile and he rolled his eyes, a smile tugging at his mouth. "We're all stressed."

He felt sorry for her and the bloody trauma she'd been forced to go through, literally. He wanted to stay home with her, keep an eye on her, make sure nothing happened to her or the baby. He didn't want to come home and find her in a pool of blood on the floor. He almost cringed at the thought.

He shook his head as he met her brown eyes, hoping to be able to escape inside the warmth radiating from them — Nope. Not now. Fuck.

"I have something that I need to do and unfortunately it can't wait. I'll hurry back. Just, relax and call me if you need anything. Okay?"

"I have Netflix and Duke is here. I'll be fine. Don't stress on my account. I'll only feel bad if you do."

"I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Stop it. You have to go to work. Take your time."

"I'll work from home." He declared sternly.

"No, that's not necessary. I told you, I'll probably sleep through the day."

"That's perfectly fine and I'll be in my office down the hall. It's a perfect plan. I just have to take care of some business first."

He could tell that she wanted to protest but he sent her a stern look, nodding at her before leaving.

* * *

Damon slammed the car door behind him, turning to look at the building – it was huge but he knew just where to find her. Shit was about to go down.

Miranda had managed to get him alone for a couple of minutes during their dinner last week and she'd told him everything. He'd been so full of anger and disdain he harbored towards the woman he was currently on the hunt for.

He was a man on a mission as he stomped through the doors of the clinic, walking down the corridor leading to her office. Thankfully, the red 'do not disturb' lightbulb was turned off so he burst through the door, slamming it shut behind him, causing Dr. Amelia to jump in her seat. She was sitting behind her desk, typing away on her computer. Confusion could be shown in her face as she lifted a questioning eyebrow.

"Have you lost your fucking mind?" Damon all but roared, not giving a shit whether anyone else overheard their discussion.

"I could ask you the same thing."

"What you did, the way you treated Elena–"

"Calm down, calm down. Let's be rational. I talked to both Giuseppe and Stefan before her scheduled meeting and according to them, she's just another one in the pile, Damon. You probably know it as well as I do."

She sounded so casual and natural that it caused him to actually shiver, his skin tingling but not in a good way. The vibe she sent him was cold and that was the reason the goosebumps appeared at the back of his neck.

"No!" He snapped, anger boiling so close to the surface that he could feel the mere heat of it. "She's my friend and you disrespected her. You didn't break the patient-doctor confidentiality agreement; you tore it apart and set it on fire, bombed it with a fucking bazooka!"

"You're overreacting, let's sit down and discuss this like grown ups." Dr. Amelia hushed him.

"Over–– I'm overreacting?" He chuckled wryly.

"Look, I admit that I was excited but that's hardly a crime. She swallowed the bait, answered my questions and there's that. She needs to work on her own integrity––"

"What bait, she's not a–– Shit! You crossed a line!" Damon slammed his hand down on top of her desk, making damn sure she heard the growl in the back of his throat.

"That's none of your bus-"

"You made it my business when you mistreated my future wife!" He barked, his voice so low that he would've scared anyone within hearing distance. "What the hell were you thinking? I have no choice but to press charges, you know that! You broke the law."

"I don't think that's necessary." She hissed vehemently, standing from her seat, her cheeks flushed from anger, as she rounded the desk. "I've dealt with a lot of shit from your family through the years. I've buried things that could give you nightmares for the rest of your life. I could tell you things about your father that would have that pretty hair of yours curl in disgust."

"I don't care about that shit! That's between you and my father. I'm not interested in the details." Hell, it was the truth. He didn't care about his father's shenanigans, the man would have to own up to his own troubles and mistakes because Damon was over it.

"You should be!"

"Don't you get it? You broke the law and if I have anything to say about it, you'll never get to practice medicine again."

"I'll leak every single detail on you and your family. God knows there's more than one corpse rotting away in your own closet, isn't there?"

Damon gritted his teeth. He was aware of the fact that Dr. Amelia knew a lot about his family, but how much? Did she know–– No, no way. That was buried, he would never let that resurface. He stepped closer, invading her personal space, getting all up in her face, whispering to her.

"Threaten me all you want but if you go after Elena, I can't promise what I'll do. Well, except for the fact that you'll never see me coming."

* * *

He'd been shaking with anger as he got in the car and headed over to the mansion. He'd been accepting his parents' behavioral modification thing for far too long and he was about to snap. Hell, he'd already snapped. He was so mad that he felt as if he was about to burst at the seams. His head was spinning furiously and his heart ticked like a freaking bomb in his chest - it almost hurt as he inhaled sharply. Was he having a fucking panic attack? Shit! He gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles white and his chest heaving as he tried to compose himself.

Damon was tired of always playing by the rules, always behaving, staying in line, being the perfect son. Ever since he could remember he'd been drilled into being someone he wasn't, his parents had never allowed him to be– just, Damon. No, he'd had to live up to their expectations, he'd been their firstborn and the pressure had finally caused him to lose his shit. Meanwhile, Stefan had been the golden boy throughout their entire lives and Damon had fucking had it with everything.

He didn't even bother knocking on the front double doors as he continued through the foyer at his parents' place, two of the three maids nervously hurrying after him as he continued towards the dining room with the huge crystal chandeliers his father had purchased for his mother's fortieth birthday. They always followed their schedule, never broke protocol or strayed from the calm and collected personalities they showed the rest of the world, except behind closed doors.

Sure enough, his parents were seated at the end of the table, looking up in surprise as they noticed him storming in. Damon didn't bother to say hello, he just simply made his way over to them, stopping.

"Elena suffered from a rupture, there was blood everywhere, but your grandchild is still growing and thriving, so no worries there, thanks for the showed concern." Damon sat down opposite his father, letting his eyes travel back and forth between his parents as he spoke.

"Calm down, we already know about the bleeding," Giuseppe said as he continued to cut a large piece of his bloody steak, nodding, shrugging his shoulders as if saying whatever.

Damon narrowed his eyes and continued as calmly as possible. "Dr. Amelia is threatening to talk to the press and release information about Stefan's and apparently – your earlier mistakes because she's a bitch. Oh, and she threatened my future wife which guarantees that she's a fucking moron as well. And father, I'm pressing charges. She broke the patient-doctor-confidentiality – which means she broke the law."

"She called earlier. I'm aware of the situation."

"And?" Damon questioned, anger bubbling inside, burning his intestines. "That's all you have to say?"

"You've caused quite a mess. I hope you're aware of that." Giuseppe said sternly as if talking to a child.

"What?" Dumbfounded, Damon stared at his father. "I've caused a mess? Are you fucking kidding me? Where the hell is Stefan?"

"He's still in Los Angeles. He needed a vacation." His mother interrupted with a matter of factly kind of snort to her tone of voice.

"Vacation?" Damon laughed before glaring at his father.

"Yes, he needed some extra time to come to terms with everything. He's already going through a rough time. There's no need to bother your brother with the gory details if the girl is fine."

"Are you insane? Tell me you're crazy. How can you defend him after everything? How can you possibly take his sid––"

"You do not get to question my authority!" Giuseppe growled, throwing his knife and fork onto the plate, causing it to almost crack at the sudden impact. "You do as I say or––"

"Or what?" Damon roared back, not caring about the fact that his mother tried to reach for him, begging him to calm down. "Why is it suddenly so important for everyone to keep me in check?"

"Someone needs to teach you how to behave!"

"Sorry to disappoint you, father, but last time I checked, I was still a human being! Newsflash, I screw up, just like everyone else!"

"Stop with the pity party, I did not raise a screwup!"

"Exactly! I am not Stefan." Damon growled. "How about you stop trying to turn me into him? You can't fix his mistakes by molding me into the shape and form you prefer. Would it be so fucking hard for you to just be a real dad and actually give a shit for once?"

And with those last words spat in his father's face, Damon glanced at his quiet mother, shook his head in disappointment and left the mansion, intent on staying as far away as possible from the two people he'd called mom and dad.

* * *

Damon pressed the phone to his ear as he walked down the pavement of the mansion, heading for his car. He didn't care if Stefan was asleep, fucking or drinking, he had to give his brother a piece of his mind while he was still mad as hell and all riled up.

Straight to voicemail, of course! He slammed his hand down on top of the hood of the car, the smacking sound causing him to cringe as he realized how stupid that move obviously was. The palm of his hand stung with the pulsating feel of misjudged guidance. Fuck, he was losing his shit!

His family was obviously batshit-crazy-stupid people that didn't care about life outside their circle of manipulative shenanigans. He was so tired of everything; dealing with work and Stefan's shit! And Elena!

Okay, not that he could blame her for all the things going down in his life right now, she was an innocent bystander – for the most part – and he liked her. She was kind and warm; all the things he'd missed as a kid due to his parents, all the things he'd missed so far in his adult relationships due to the fact that he always chose manipulative women to sleep with. It had always been casual, nothing too serious but now, fuck…

He picked up his phone, dialed his brother once more. Straight to voicemail.

"Call me back, you fucking asshole."

* * *

ELENA

Duke had been sound asleep on the sofa, propped behind her legs while she rested on her side but then her golden lifted his head, sniffing the air, concentrating on things Elena couldn't detect with her human hearing.

When Duke started wagging his tail, Elena ushered him on his way to greet Damon. She could hear the sound of paws as Duke made his way down to the foyer and the slamming of the front door.

She was tired but forced herself to sit up and shuddered when Damon walked through the living room with determination on his face and straight into the kitchen – not a word uttered, not a single glance her way. She frowned, bit her lower lip. Something was obviously wrong. She got to her feet and hurried after him. To her worry, she found him leaning against the counter, his shoulders shaking so violently it almost scared her. She could feel the intense energy roll off of him in pulsating waves.

"What's wrong? Damon, talk to me."

"Nothing." He breathed, his voice hoarse.

"But, you can talk to me–– we're friends."

"Leave me alone." He bellowed, turning to face her.

She flinched at his raised voice. Her heart aching in her chest as she noticed the pained expression on his face. He was so worked up, panting, his eyes pleading with her, his hands shaking with raw emotion. She'd never seen him so out of control before - her brain told her to just walk away. Coming in his line of fire right now could cause damage they probably wouldn't be able to repair. However, Elena's heart insisted on pushing him over the edge. She would catch him if he wanted her to.

"No, you're obviously not feeling well."

"Steer clear of me then." He advised.

"Talk to me." She insisted, crossing her arms above her chest as if trying to hold herself together.

"There's nothing to talk about. None of this matters to me!"

"Bullshit! How could it not matter? You're so upset that you're shaking!"

"I can't be what other people want me to be, I can't live up to their expectations. I screwed up and I'm not allowed to do so! Believe it or not but I'm human, Elena. Okay? I have emotions, just like everyone else. And right now I'm pissed off. So leave me alone."

"It's okay–"

"No, you don't get it!" He pulled both hands through his hair, shaking his head. "I fucked up!"

"Then talk to me!" She pleaded angrily, almost yelling. "Explain it. Make me understand!"

"I've had it with work, my parents, everything! And god damn it, a part of me wanna seek comfort in you but I can't because of my brother! And to top it off and make matters even worse, I can't fucking think straight because my head is spinning and I just really want to kiss you right now!"

"I'm right here!"

"That's not the point!"

"Kiss me."

"What?" He all but panted.

"If that's what you need in order to not lose your freaking mind and scare the shit out of me, then kiss me."

His face fell as her words hit him like a slap on his cheek and she closed the gap between them without a second thought, grabbing the back of his neck pulling his face down to hers, their lips colliding.

She snaked her arms around him, hugging him tightly, pressing her body against his and sighed as he finally loosened up, sinking into her embrace, no longer tense.

It was a deep, long and intense kiss, yet no tongue or mingling breaths were involved.

"What do you need?" She asked as he slowly let his lips leave hers, hovering close enough for her to touch his mouth if she tilted her head just the slightest bit.

"What do you mean?" He whispered, his voice low and husky.

"Maybe, you need some time off from work. You could go on vacation? If just for a couple of days. I'll stay with my parents and I'll see you when you get back."

"That's not an option." He interrupted, his arms tightening around her.

"You need space to reload your batteries."

"You're right, I do, but not from you. I need space from my family, the city and everything. You need some time from everything as well. I know you've had a rough couple of weeks, all thanks to me and well, the entire Salvatore clan."

"What do you say if I tell you that I have just the perfect place then?" She quipped, eyeing him, feeling safe and warm in his embrace.

"What?" He eyed her suspiciously. Intrigued.

"As you probably already know, my family isn't rich but when my grandmother died, she gave her lakehouse to my parents."

"You own a lakehouse? Where?" He was surprised, to say the least.

"Approximately ten miles from here."

"Huh. So?"

"So, do you wanna go?"

"Hell yeah." He mumbled as she pushed up on her tiptoes, placing a soft kiss on his mouth.

* * *

DUKE

Duke eyed the two humans as they latched their mouths onto one another. They were obviously switching saliva for some crazy reason. Mama Elena seemed rather flushed as she pushed away from Damon and left him standing in the kitchen, alone. Duke decided to stare at Damon until the human would realize he'd seen it all.

"Hey, Duke." Damon nodded and walked over to him, hunching down. "Bet you saw that, didn't you?"

'Yes, Damon. I saw everything. What were you doing to mama?' Duke tilted his head as Damon scratched his chest, moving his hands to massage the floppy ears. 'Okay, keep going.'

"Thanks for taking care of her today."

'Pfft, I always take of her. It's my job.'

"Let's go pack some stuff."

Duke followed Damon through the apartment. He could hear his human rummaging around in her room and wagged his tail, figuring she would be fine on her own for a while.

His mama had seemed stressed about their new surroundings, missing her other pack members. Grayson and Miranda was still a part of the pack but didn't live with them anymore, he missed them sometimes. Duke did his best to comfort mama Elena when she felt sad or lonely. She was so tired; not that he minded, he liked their daily naps but he worried about her. His human used to be so full of life, loving food just as much as he did. Now she just ate and barfed.

Sure, Duke used to do the same thing as a pup but he always saved the leftovers, mama Elena flushed them down his favorite water fountain. Rude but true.

And then there was Damon. Oh, he liked Damon. He was kind and after all - he did feed him on a regular basis and he gave the best belly rubs ever. And even though Damon was new to their small pack, the human reeked of authority and had a steady hand and open heart when handling him; but mama Elena was still the Alpha. Duke knew his place in the pack and hopefully, Damon would figure out his place sooner rather than later.

* * *

ELENA

"Can I drive?" She asked as they walked through the underground garage, Duke following two steps behind her.

Asking if she could drive was – truth be told – mainly because she could tell that he was still worked up. Going through the emotions he'd shown her a glimpse of earlier wasn't supposed to be mixed with driving. The combination could be deadly. So, instead of offering to drive, she'd asked, with a hint of demand hidden somewhere in her voice.

"Sure." Damon nodded and pointed towards the row of cars parked neatly beside one another. "Pick one."

"Wait for a second, they're all yours?"

"Yup." He shrugged indifferently.

She glanced at him before turning around to eye the vehicles lined up in front of them. Wow. She recognized his Mustang and smiled softly; she wouldn't mind seating herself behind the wheel but Duke wouldn't exactly fit and she refused to leave him behind - he loved the lakehouse and Elena loved him, so, it was an easy decision.

"Can we take the SUV?"

Damon nodded firmly and steered his steps towards the young man seated inside the small corner booth office in the back of the garage and returned shortly with the keys, handing them to her.

"Treat Olivia with respect."

"Olivia?" Elena raised a questioning eyebrow and he rolled his eyes at her. "You named your car?"

"I name all my cars. Fair is fair and hey, I've seen the number of stuffed animals that you've clearly spoiled Duke with throughout the years you've had him."

"So?"

"I bet you've named every single one of them."

She blushed crimson, bit her lower lip. Okay, fine, maybe she'd named a couple of them. Rob, Sally, oh and Bill, the purple fat elephant that she'd won at the Tivoli three years ago.

"Am I wrong?"

"Nooo…" She drawled in a whispered voice and he sent her a crooked grin.

They made their way over to the car. The black and shiny surface was smooth under the palm of her hand. Elena had never owned a car of her own so whenever she borrowed her parents old and rusty, yet very reliable Volvo, she'd never imagined herself driving Damon Salvatore's SUV one day. It was mind-blowing, to say the least.

She was baffled to see that Damon put their bags in the backseat as well as allowing Duke to jump in through the open door, but not before draping a blue blanket across the seats. She didn't complain, just bit her lower lip and glanced at him, he was still riled up and stressed out. She felt bad for him. She hadn't managed to get much information out of him and had basically decided to put it off as long as she possibly could. However, Elena suspected that his parents were to blame for some of his raging emotions and from the little things she'd heard about them - she probably couldn't blame him. She'd seen pictures of his parents online and they'd seemed so collected, calm exteriors and charming smiles.

Damon motioned for her to get behind the wheel so she did, buckled up and started the car and rolled out of the garage.

It was exhilarating, the car was huge and she had to admit that she was having trouble relaxing as she crisscrossed through the cars and different lanes. Traffic was wild and she remembered why she hated driving in the middle of the city; it was stressful and lacked the enjoyment of sliding through nature.

"It's okay," Damon assured as another driver honked behind them, noticing her obvious stressed state of mind. "Take your time. It's just a car and it's insured so don't worry."

"You named her," Elena remarked, checking the rearview mirror.

"Don't worry." He insisted, leaning back in his seat, shifting ever so slightly in order to scratch the back of Duke's head.

Elena sighed, gripping the steering wheel, let his words sink in and slowly relaxed her shoulders as he connected his phone to the car via Bluetooth, starting a playlist on Spotify, causing the atmosphere to change from rapidly stressed to calmer as they left the city behind.

* * *

DAMON

Once they reached the highway Elena drove his car with ease, loosening her formerly tight grip on the steering wheel, Duke was snoring in the backseat and Damon felt rather relaxed. He'd been so worked up lately, hell, he'd been on the brink of destruction even before Elena got thrown into his life. She'd been right, he needed a break from everything, had to get away from the city and his parents' empire. It was still hard to breathe but he made sure to inhale and exhale to the beat of the acoustic music playing in the background. 'Inhale, count to five. Exhale, count to five.'

He could feel his heart slowing down to a somewhat normal pace and decided to close his eyes for a brief second. It wasn't like he was going to join Duke in dreamland. As a kid, he'd never been able to nap in the car. He couldn't explain it but had a vague and distinct feeling of handing the control over to someone else and everything going to shit without his active presence. So, nope. No sleeping in the car.

* * *

ELENA

Elena dared herself to peek to her right, slowly realizing that Damon had fallen asleep. With his face turned towards her, his mouth slightly ajar and his features relaxed, she smiled softly and felt the unmistakable flutter of something warm tingling inside her.

'Just relax', she thought to herself.

She drove without fear as they got further and further away from the city. The chance of hitting a tree felt less likely than hitting a biker or runner crossing the busy streets of the town. Maybe it was just an irrational fear of hers, but she'd always been scared of hitting someone. She wasn't a bad driver, just a little nervous and extra cautious from time to time.

But as she started to feel at home behind the wheel of the huge SUV, the emotion of fearless satisfaction hit her and it was a new sensation, to say the least. The berry was okay, the bleeding had stopped, she felt no pain, Duke was fine and Damon seemed relaxed. The thought of their earlier kiss had her chuckling quietly. She had no idea what had possessed her to just grab him and plant one on him. She could feel her cheeks burning at the memory of his hands sneaking their way around her waist, gripping her tighter.

She had no idea what it meant or what she wanted it to–– No, not going there, not right now. They would have time to talk and just hang out at the lakehouse. Lord, she could barely wait.

* * *

DAMON

"Wow, I'm impressed." He admitted, gawking at the interior.

"Not so bad for a poor gal, huh?" She joked.

"Your words," He squinted his eyes at her. "Not mine."

She rolled her eyes and he followed her into the rustic, old, yet warm and welcoming kitchen.

"This place is huge." He whistled. "How many rooms are there?"

"Seven bedrooms and four, no, five bathrooms. A living room, then there's the dining area—"

"Elena." He interrupted. "It's almost bigger than my apartment."

"No, it's not." She chuckled. "Besides, you live in a penthouse, I would hardly call that an apartment."

"Uh, it's the same thing."

"Uh," She mocked. "It's not the same thing. My older brother Jeremy used to rent an apartment. The place looked nothing like yours, okay."

"Fine, smarty pants." Damon held his hands up in defeat, smirking at her. And holy, did she just blush–? Nah. No. She didn't blush. 'Get it out of your head.'

"Thank you."

"When is your brother coming back?" Damon knew it was a touchy subject and didn't really know how to bring it up without causing her teary eyes to appear.

"I'm not sure." She shook her head, unpacking some of the groceries they'd bought on their way over. "He might volunteer for another year. But don't mention it with my parents around."

"Why not?" He frowned, offering to help her.

"Because my Dad doesn't know yet."

"Your Mom doesn't want him to know?"

"I don't know but deep down I suspect that my Dad wants him to come home and help with the shelter. He always wanted Jer to be a veterinarian. But, knowing my Dad, he'll never ask for help or push my brother into a line of work he doesn't want to practice."

"Could you take me one day?"

"What?" She looked at him, humorously, raising an eyebrow. "To the animal shelter?"

"Yeah, why not?" Damon shrugged. "I do like animals."

"Ha, you could've fooled me." She responded and glanced at Duke.

"Hey, the two of us just got off on the wrong foot— paw— whatever, Duke likes me, I accept him."

"Jeez, you're such a charmer!" She laughed, playfully slapping his shoulder as she passed him. "Come on, Duke needs a walk."

* * *

"Give it to me."

"No way, he's going to lead you on with his soft eyes and then you're going to have to stand here for the entire afternoon, throwing till your arms fall off."

"Give it to me," Damon demanded.

"No, I'm serious Damon. He's a golden retriever, he never stops." She snickered and tried to hide the item behind her back. "You don't know what you're getting yourself into—"

Damon grabbed the tennis ball from Elena and gazed down at Duke. The retriever sat down immediately, his tail wagging furiously back and forth as he waited rather impatiently for Damon to go ahead and just throw the damn thing.

"You brought it upon yourself!" She shouted as she walked away from them.

The sound following as Duke jumped headfirst into the lake had Elena giggling as she sat down on the dock her father had built approximately ten years prior. Her retriever broke the surface, efficiently swimming towards the ball, snatching it before heading back to shore where Damon waited for him.

* * *

DAMON

They'd had a great afternoon, he'd played with Duke and he'd actually made dinner while Elena withdrew to her bedroom, resting for an hour or two. Duke had joined him in the kitchen, eyeing him carefully as he'd chopped tomatoes for the salad. The retriever was a nice company and Damon found himself talking to him when they were alone. He was a good listener, never interrupted or gave bad advice.

Elena had appeared in the doorway just as he'd sliced the homemade pizza into six pieces. After finishing their plates, she'd thanked him for making dinner, they'd cleaned together. They'd talked about the house and were now seated in the cozy living room. Damon stretched his shoulder as he sat down in the armchair opposite Elena, eyeing her as she snuggled up on the couch, yawning, Duke resting under the coffee table, his tail moving leisurely as he slowly succumbed to sleep.

"Are you tired?"

"It's all the fresh air." She cooed, smiling.

"I see."

Silence filled the air between them as he locked his eyes with her brown ones. Something tingled at the back of his spine and he swallowed the nervousness he felt whenever they gazed at one another. It felt as if she could see right through him, felt as if he was an open book for her to read. Damon shook his head. They hadn't talked about what had transpired in his kitchen yesterday, they hadn't talked about what had been said between them at the hospital after her bleeding. No, they'd shoved it to the side and the thoughts piled up inside him. He wanted to dissolve the issue before it got blown into proportions they couldn't handle.

"We need to talk." They somehow ended up saying in unison.

"You first." Elena insisted.

"I want to apologize for the way I acted yesterday when I got home. I was so riled up and I lashed out. It's like I've been kept on this short leash my entire life and I– snapped. You got in the line of fire and I feel really bad for exposing you to that side of me. I never wanted to scare you."

"You did scare me, but, it's okay." She whispered, looking at him. "You were vulnerable and I've never seen you display that kind of emotion before. If anything, it was brave of you to show that side of yourself."

The sincerity in her voice caused him to inhale sharply as he leaned forward to rest his arms on his knees. He stroked a finger across his mouth, contemplating what to say next. He closed his eyes, blinked and faced her again. She eyed him quietly as she bit her lower lip. Jeez, he would have to tell her to stop the lip-biting-thingy at some point, or he would snap again - in a completely different and naughtier way than yesterday.

"Look, I wanted to talk to you about the arrangement." He finally said. "Grayson told me a thing or two and I understand that you might have doubts about the potential marriage so I'm offering a negotiation; you should get the opportunity to be involved. After all, it's a big decision."

"What kind of negotiation?" She asked wearily.

"No marriage."

"Wait, what? I thought that was one of the paragraphs. The clause was–"

"Elena, I get that marriage is important to you and once you get married, you want it to last forever. I mean, I don't understand it but, at the same time, I get it."

"So, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that we postpone everything linked to wedding stuff. We can still get engaged. I've heard it's a huge thing in some countries - people get engaged but they skip the wedding."

"Oh, really?" She snickered at him as he moved a hand to rub the back of his neck.

"Yup." He nodded. "I know that the situation is delicate and difficult to deal with but I would never force you to marry me just because my parents say so."

"I know."

"My parents aren't like yours."

"What do you mean?" She mumbled, pulling a hand through her hair.

"Your parents are married for real. My parents," Damon chuckled, the sarcasm sour in his voice. "They're basically just partners in business. I've never seen them engaged in PDA. Not that I want to see that but– they never hugged or showed emotion towards one another. I don't know what I want to say. I just– If we decide to get hitched or not, that's none of their business. It'll be between the two of us. It's a decision we make together, no matter what's written in the papers."

* * *

ELENA

"Morning."

"Good morning." She greeted, closed her eyes and inhaled the smell of coffee as she heard him enter the kitchen. "How'd you sleep?"

"Better than I've slept in months." He purred, rounding the kitchen island where she was seated. "I bet it's because of all the fresh air."

"See, I told you." She exclaimed.

To her surprise, Damon leaned down to kiss the back of her neck before passing her and hurrying towards the coffeepot. The simple yet very intimate action sent shockwaves of shivers down her spine and her insides flared up like bushfires!

"What do you think you're doing?" She managed to stammer, her voice wavering.

"What?" He frowned as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

"You just–" And then she noticed the bare chest and the soft skin he'd obviously decided to put on display for her. She cleared her throat. "You just kissed the back of my neck as if—"

"As if what?" He cocked an eyebrow.

She eyed him casually, turning in her seat. He seemed different from the person she'd gotten to know during the past few weeks. Just the fact that he'd entered the kitchen without a shirt on, black sweatpants hanging low on his hips, showing off the abs and oh gosh, abs– Abs everywhere.

"Hey, eyes up here." He grinned.

He was– holy shit– he was cocky! This was the Damon she'd always imagined when reading about him in the magazines; the cocky, secure, hot and sexy as fuck type of guy. The one you loved to hate; with a raw passion. Sure, he'd been all of those things when he'd showed up at her doorstep but he'd - obviously - been holding back. He'd been tamed and drilled into a molded figure that she'd never been able to wrap her mind around. He'd been distant yet close.

So, to notice that his entire stance had changed overnight– caused her to feel lightheaded. Or maybe– maybe this was the real Damon that he'd kept hidden under the controlled and proper manners he'd talked about last night. He did mention a leash during their conversation about his parents. Wait, no, that was– Her eyes started to wander by their own free will. Oh, his hair seemed so messy and silky - all at the same time, how was it even possible? Gosh, she just wanted to pull her hands through his dark strands and tug at it.

The usually calm and collected version of him had turned into something— well, something more– and it was undoubtedly and undeniably– sexy beyond belief. She gulped, trying to compose herself. She shook her head, what on earth was happening to her?

"As if I wanted to devour you?"

"Um, no. I just— I thought—" she trailed off, unable to finish her sentence. It was getting harder and harder to hide the heat building inside her. He looked good enough to actually eat. Oh my, she wouldn't say no to nibbling at him, sucking the sensitive skin just below his navel, trailing the line of hair that dis– She cleared her throat and got to her feet.

"You kissed me yesterday."

"That was– I mean–" She stammered, fidgeting with her hands. "No, that was different."

"Different how?" He tilted his head.

His eyes glittered with mischief and her cheeks burned; they were probably a bright shade of red and there was absolutely nothing she could do to hide it. Damon leaned back against the counter and sipped on his coffee, never breaking eye contact with her.

"You needed it."

"I did." He confessed.

"Well– good! But I don't need you to go around kissing my neck, nuzzling it and make me feel–"

"Hot and bothered?"

"Whatever, if you're just going to mock me..." She shook her head and attempted to leave the kitchen when his hand wrapped around her arm, turning her towards him.

"I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable. It wasn't my intention."

"Yes, it was." She countered.

"What do you want me to say, Elena? I got to yell at my parents, I slept an entire night for the first time in six months, I woke up in a really good mood and it just– It just happened. I'm sorry."

He seemed rather sincere and she sighed, realizing his hands had come to rest on her hips. She wasn't mad, just surprised and to be honest, yes, she was hot and bothered. If he could be honest with her, then maybe she should give it a try as well. 'Here goes nothing.'

"I'm confused." She explained, tilting her head to look up at him. "I don't know what we're doing. I'm attracted to you which should be weird considering the fact that I'm–"

"Considering the fact that you're pregnant with my niece or nephew?"

"Yes." She whispered, resting her hands on his chest. Elena could feel his heart beat furiously below her hands and she bit her lower lip.

"Don't do that." He all but whimpered huskily.

"Do what?"

Damon's arms tightened around her waist as he pulled her closer, her hips rocking into his, her breasts pressed almost flat against him as she snaked her arms around his neck, their lips mere inches apart from each other. She could feel his breath on her mouth, causing her tongue to dart out. Elena could see the flickering of his eyes as she licked her upper lip, the hitch in his throat as she played with the hair at the back of his head, caressing his neck with soft hands.

"The lip-biting-thing, it has got to stop."

"Or what?" She breathed.

* * *

DAMON

He hissed at her newfound confidence, where did that come from? It was hot, in fact - it was so freaking hot that the strain in his sweatpants couldn't be hidden even if he tried. He tilted his hips, making sure she could feel exactly how she affected him.

"Or I'll probably end up kissing you."

Her hands raked through his hair and he couldn't help but to close his eyes, he wanted to groan out loud, it felt so damn good. 'Shit, don't stop.' And then, to his big disappointment, her hands came to a stop as she forced him to meet her eyes. The brown color of her eyes reminded him of hot, melted, dripping chocolate and he just wanted to drown in them.

"So do it." She implored.

Damon feared that his knees would give out unless he moved. So, he caught her upper lip with his mouth, inhaling her scent, his body pulsating with the heat and lust blowing up between them. She tasted of coffee and something else that he couldn't exactly pinpoint - he liked it.

Elena opened her mouth, inviting him to explore her and when their tongue's found each other, he feared his heart would burst through the chest. Moaning, locked in his embrace, she felt like she belonged there.

This was different from the kiss they'd shared yesterday. She'd surprised him when he was on fire from anger and frustration. It had been sweet and yes, rather comforting. It had grounded him in a way he wouldn't admit out loud for her to hear. But, it had also been chaste, no tongue and no painful dick throbbing with the ache to be touched, in his pants.

Damon stroked his hands up and down her back, devouring her mouth, mesmerized at how she actually fit so amazingly well pressed into him. He continued down her throat, kissing the place where neck and shoulder met, causing her to whimper, her breathing just as heavy as his own. She tugged at his hair, almost giggling as he made his way up to her lips once more. Damon couldn't remember the last time he'd been so turned on by simply making out.

The buzzing sound and vibration of his phone caused them to part. She smiled at him as he fished his phone out of his back pocket and he smirked in return. They stared down at the phone in his hand. Their smiles disappeared.

Stefan.

* * *

 _Be kind enough to leave a review or just a smile =)  
Love, Quinn_


	7. Chapter 7: 16 weeks

**AN;** Enjoy!

* * *

 **16 WEEKS**

 **DAMON**

A couple of weeks had passed since their two day trip to the lake house. It had been a nice escape from the reality that had slowly beckoned them back to the city. Damon had needed it more than he'd realized and he wouldn't mind going back.

He had kissed her and his brother had ruined everything with the mere sight of his own name flashing on his phone. 'Fucking cockblocker.' He'd ignored the call and Stefan hadn't tried to contact him after that – his brother wasn't used to being ignored, he didn't chase people. Damon couldn't care less - the last person he wanted to talk to was Stefan. He could stay in Los Angeles for the rest of his life if he wanted to.

His parents had been ignoring him and he'd treated them the very same way. He barely acknowledged his father at the office, thankful that he could decide if he wanted to work from home or not. Sure, they worked side by side on different projects but that didn't really mean anything. It wasn't personal - it was simply work-related and to be honest, Damon was okay with it.

The one thing he wasn't okay with; was the sudden fallout with Elena. She'd slowly distanced herself from him since their kiss being so rudely interrupted by the unwelcomed phone call and he was— fuck, he was miserable. They barely talked, the penthouse was big enough for them to live separately and they happened to just pass each other every now and then, not a single word being spoken - at least that's what it felt like; painful and annoying.

They were polite but not flirtatious and they didn't touch. He hadn't touched her since that heated makeout session in the kitchen and he longed to put his hands on her body.

He had no idea what was going on between them and Damon hated the fact that most people wanted to label every single relationship in their lives - it was fucking annoying. But damn it, he wanted to label them, wanted to touch her, hug her and hold her close - if she would just let him. A part of him ached, throbbed painfully and it had nothing to do with his dick this time. Honestly, his morning wood and overall libido had slowly evaporated as she'd put more and more distance between them. It was weird and quite frankly, it had started to scare the living crap out of him.

So yes, Damon was miserable. He didn't know what to do. Didn't know how to fix it. Didn't know how to approach her.

And, even though they didn't have to see him or even hear from him - Stefan would always be in the middle of everything, standing like a ghost between them, separating them from whatever it was that had started to develop between them and it fucking sucked.

* * *

ELENA

"Baby is as big as an avocado!" Elena announced, reciting the line from one of the maternity magazines Caroline had given her and Duke tilted his head as if agreeing, saying, 'Hell yeah, mama! Avocado!'

She snickered as he followed her to the bathroom. Elena brushed her hair, trying to calm her nerves. Her appointment with Dr. Flowers was scheduled for today and she had a hard time concentrating. She'd talked to her mother yesterday and Miranda had offered to go with her but Elena had declined.

For some odd reason, a part of her wanted to share her fears with Damon, wanted him to come to her, grab her and tell her that everything would be okay. Another part was mad at herself for what she'd let happen at the lake house. Their makeout session had been anything but innocent. He'd caused her entire body to crave him for days, yet, he'd pulled away from her. He'd felt cold and it had hurt like hell but she'd accepted it, she'd seen it for what it was. Fake.

Being with his brother's pregnant one night stand wasn't on his to-do-list and she couldn't exactly blame him for that. She almost loathed herself for even thinking about Damon naked. Yes, she'd been thinking about him, naked, in different positions, doing all kinds of sexual and intimate things to her and with her.

Elena pulled a hand over her face before gathering her hair in a low and messy bun. She applied some mascara, changed her clothes for the seventh time and sighed at her new figure. Her body was constantly changing and it was weird yet very exciting. It didn't matter how many times she read and reread the magazines, it was a lot to take in.

Her breasts had gone up several cup sizes by now and she grimaced as she eyed herself closer in the mirror. Her clothes had started to feel a little snug and it was probably time for her to go on a shopping spree. Caroline had made it her personal duty to inform Elena about everything regarding babies, she'd even offered to show some of her own favorite stores that had nice maternity clothes for sale on a weekly basis. Even though the blonde was slightly erratic and full of intense energy, Elena liked her. She was kind and she meant well and Elena could definitely use a friend.

* * *

DUKE

The atmosphere changed and he slowly opened his eyes, lifting his head, reassessing the situation. Fidgeting hands. His human was tense. Nervous. Worried. Duke got up from the corner where he'd been resting on the cold tiles near the squared bathtub. He stopped at her side, seating himself so close to her that he could rest his weight against her leg. Mama Elena sniffed and stifled a whimpering cry as she looked down at him and he pushed his nose into the palm of her hand, reassuring her that she wasn't alone. He was there for her. Always.

But, there was something weird going on with her; it bothered him that he couldn't figure out what it was. However, Duke knew his place in the pack – his job was to love unconditionally, guard and make his human happy. His purpose was to be there for her – it didn't necessarily mean he had to understand her all of the time.

Mama Elena had never been a sad person but things had changed when they'd had to move and started to hang out with Damon on a daily basis. The man still hadn't found his place in the pack. As of now, Duke wasn't even sure if Damon was a part of their pack and it confused him. Not that it tested his loyalty – his human was the Alpha, no questions asked. But, he liked Damon, he really did – but the man didn't put a smile on his human's face anymore, so, therefore, Duke wanted to dislike him, wanted to stop his tail from moving in anticipation when he heard Damon enter the front door every day.

Yeah, Duke was confused and when he was confused; he had a bad habit of– well, let's just say that he'd chewed on the back corner of the - very expensive – sofa last week, he'd also peed on some of the flowers on the terrace; they'd died three days later. Duke was well aware of how stupid his behavior was but he'd been stealthy, he knew perfectly well how to sneak around.

* * *

DAMON

He was seated at the kitchen island and groaned as he grabbed the back of his neck, rubbing it, glaring at his computer. He'd decided to work from home due to the fact that Elena had her prenatal visit/appointment with Dr. Flowers scheduled for today. She'd told him about it weeks ago and he'd put it in his calendar.

He'd been pacing back and forth in his bedroom the last two nights, contemplating and trying to decide whether or not to ask her about it. He was curious, so when she walked through the living room and into the kitchen, he greeted her with a nod and smiled. She was beautiful and it was hard for him not to stare.

"Are you busy? You look busy. Is it work?" She hashed out.

"Uh–" Damon blinked, a sense of shock and happiness coursing through him – she was talking to him – unable to contain his smile. He was just so damned happy that she was talking to him without the frown and sad face present. His soul felt lighter than it had in weeks and all due to the soft smile on her face. He cleared his throat, feign innocence. "That's– what's up?"

"I have an appointment with Dr. Flowers today."

"Yeah? You want to borrow one of the cars?"

She eyed him cautiously and he raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to say something, anything; no matter what, he would listen to her. He could hear his own heartbeats and counted quietly, begging, praying, hoping for her to open her mouth.

"I don't–" She trailed off. "I don't want to go alone."

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" Damon asked for the twentieth time as he sat down beside her in the waiting room area. "I could just wait in the car."

Elena smiled at some of the other women seated across from them and nudged his arm. She crossed her legs and took a deep breath.

He eyed her. Was she nervous?

"I'm sure and despite what you might think, I'm glad you're here." She confessed without looking at him, her eyes wandering around the room. "I'm just– so nervous. You need to ground me."

"Ground you, how?" He tilted his head and smirked devilishly, eyeing her with a raised eyebrow. "With a kiss?"

Elena turned to look at him and tried her best to glare as he winked at her.

* * *

According to Damon, Dr. Flowers looked like the cute little grandmother you could picture in a children's book – dark hair with a lot of grey strands, a huge reassuring and loving smile on her face and a welcoming spirit that seemed to have a calming effect on everyone present in the same room.

"Is that— the baby?" Damon asked, confused as he stared at the screen, eyeing the black and white contours, having no idea what to actually expect or what to even look for. Why did people get so extremely excited about this? Man, he had no idea.

He'd missed Elena's company the last couple of weeks but he would rather be at home, having a beer, finishing up some of the paperwork he'd brought home from the office yesterday – but no, he was at Dr. Flowers private practice with Elena and he had no idea what they were supposed to see.

"Do you see that?" The older woman pointed at the screen.

Damon frowned. Oh, so he was actually supposed to see something? Was it like– abstract art? Was he supposed to squint his eyes in order to see something valuable?

"There's the head and two arms. Look, he or she's waving at mommy and daddy."

Damon tensed up. Daddy? A twinge of something unfamiliar soared through him at the word – gearing up to reply with a snide remark of some sort – dude, totally not mine.

Just as he was about to say something to clarify that he was not the father, Elena grabbed his hand in hers, squeezing it tightly.

He glanced down at their intertwined fingers and gulped, finding that the mesmerized look on her face caused his breath to get caught in his throat.

She was staring at the screen, seemingly baffled and slightly taken aback. He dared himself to stroke the back of her hand with his thumb but she didn't react to his touch. He forced himself to swallow the lump that had formed in the back of his throat and turned his attention back to the screen. That's when he saw the flickering movement. What was that?

"Wait, something moved." He pointed at the screen. "There, right there, it's doing it again!"

"Oh, that's the baby kicking." Dr. Flowers acknowledged while not so well-hidden laughter escaped her.

"Is, w– really?" Damon gawked and turned to face Elena. He was suddenly enjoying himself immensely. "Can you feel the kicks?"

"Uh, no." She shook her head slowly, frowning as realization dawned on her, glancing nervously at Dr. Flowers. "Should I be able to feel her move?"

"It's different for everyone but I'd say it's still a little early to feel kicks. Sure, there's a lot of movement going on inside but most people mistake it for bowel movements or gas. Give it a couple of weeks and you'll know for sure when it's a kick and not just a bad dinner causing you trouble." Dr. Flowers smiled reassuringly.

"Yeah, sure, okay." Damon nodded hurriedly as if he was the one pregnant.

He slowly regained his focus and then everything just, kind of seemed to shift before his eyes. He could see the head. Holy shit! Two legs and a pair of waving arms. He noticed all of it as the older woman described what they were seeing on the screen.

It was when they got to hear the swishing, intense and loud sound of a tiny heartbeat that Elena's goblet seemed to overflow with emotions. He could see the tears that welled up and escaped her eyes as she smiled through the joy and relaxation that followed, knowing that her berry was okay.

"A picture–" She sobbed through the tears, laughing. "I want– I want a picture."

"Of course." Dr. Flowers nodded reassuringly.

* * *

ELENA

Elena had been well aware of the fact that she was – indeed – pregnant, but seeing the berry on the screen, hearing the heartbeat – it had been so surreal and mind-blowing. Her emotions had gotten the best of her and she'd bawled like a baby, unable to contain the joy to fill her every nerve with sizzling energy.

She'd almost forgotten that Damon was in the room, sitting beside her. He'd honestly seemed rather bored at first but then he'd stroked her hand as he'd held it securely in his own while she'd stared at her unborn child on the screen.

Dr. Flowers had printed four pictures and she couldn't stop staring at them as Damon steered out onto the highway, heading back to the city. He drove in silence for a while, almost as if he wanted to give her some time and space to let it all sink in.

Elena turned in her seat, looking at him, sighing. She was tired, elated, filled with a happiness that seemed and felt so massive that it transpired everything else.

"Are you okay?" He asked quietly after a couple of minutes.

"Mmh." She mumbled, her voice muffled. "I'm just so happy and relieved. It's weird. I mean, not weird– weird. It's just so, overwhelming. You know what I mean, right?"

"I think so." He chuckled. "Earlier, during the ultrasound – you said her."

"You noticed that."

"You think it's a girl?"

"I don't know. I mean, I– Yes. It's just a feeling in the pit of my stomach–"

"Pun intended," Damon remarked with a hint of a grin etched on his face.

"Ha, ha, you're funny. No, but seriously though. It's just a feeling I have."

"Would you…" He trailed off. "Would you prefer a boy or a girl?"

"I just want a healthy baby." She said honestly without hesitation.

"A healthy baby sounds perfect." He nodded. "Are you hungry?"

* * *

They got seated at a corner booth and ordered sparkling water with lime and lemon slices. They were sitting opposite one another and Elena could feel his eyes on her as she scanned through the menu. They both opted for chicken and Damon placed the order once the waitress sauntered over to them with a flirtatious smile on her face.

Elena felt a sting of unexplained jealousy as Damon eyed the young woman, winking at her before she left them behind, heading back to the kitchen. Blame the hormones or whatever, but she couldn't help or stop herself and wanted to bite her own tongue after she'd thrown out her next sentence.

"She's pretty."

"I didn't notice."

"You basically eye-fucked her." She muttered, unable to hide the jealousy that seemed to spread through her chest at a rapid pace. "People could probably tell from a mile away."

"Where's this coming from? The only person I want to eye-fuck right now is you."

Elena clamped her legs together, her thighs tingling as the words hit her and he stared at her, his blue eyes piercing hers with such raw intensity that her underwear almost soaked up completely within the following seconds. Oh God, how on earth was it possible? For a moment, she considered jumping over the table, throwing herself at him, devour his mouth and let him do whatever he seemed or deemed fit. It didn't matter that she'd tried to pull away and ignore him since their make-out session at the lake house; she wanted him, her body wanted him – badly.

"What about Stefan?"

Damon rested his elbows on the table and leaned forward, never breaking eye contact with her.

"I honestly don't care about my brother right now. He's not a part of this. When I look at you– I see you. I know that we're both feeling something for each other. I mean– Christ, we're going to live together for a while, Elena. I'm not sure that I can keep my distance when it comes to you."

"I don't want you to keep your distance." She admitted.

It was a bold and honest truth. She wanted him close enough to smell his cologne. She wanted to ravish him in every way possible. She literally wanted to fuck his brains out but couldn't say that out loud. She blushed at the thought as his words brought her back to their conversation.

"Let me make it easier for you. What do you want?"

"I want you."

"Shit." He groaned, his face slightly shocked. "You can't say things like that."

"You asked."

"Yeah, but we're in a restaurant and I can't sit here sporting a baseball bat in my pants, can I?"

"You can't say things like that either." She argued.

The waitress returned with their food, her eyes roaming Damon's body – shamelessly – as he thanked her and sent her on her way. She seemed rather annoyed at his short sentences and lack of interest in her and Elena had been forced to bite her tongue as the waitress snorted in response, stomping away from them.

They ate in silence, glancing at each other every now and then. Elena tried to compose herself and the tornado of emotions that threatened to consume her.

"I'm not much for labels." He stated as they'd finished their food. "I like you, Elena. We can go slow if that's what you want."

"The arrangement–"

"Don't think about that right now. I want you to make a decision based on what you're thinking right now, what you're feeling."

"Okay." Elena nodded slowly. "I guess I just want us to continue forward. Whatever happens, happens. What do you want? Except for the eye-fucking we mentioned earlier."

Holy cow! Where did that come from? She quickly covered her mouth with her hands, groaning at her own forwardness. She didn't even dare to look up at him, knowing he would be smirking at her; handsome, hot, cocky and yes, yes, yes!– so– fuckable.

"Honestly, I just wanna throw you into my bed and never let you leave."

* * *

 _Be kind enough to leave a review or just a smile =)  
Love, Quinn_


	8. Chapter 8: 19 weeks

**AN;** Enjoy!

* * *

 **19 WEEKS**

 **ELENA**

She was propped up with pillows against the headboard, one hand placed low on her belly, Duke resting his head on her hip as he snored quietly. She laughed at him as he inhaled, making funny noises as he exhaled into the fabric of her shirt.

Something had changed since the very moment Elena had seen her berry on the screen and then, the thumping sound of the heartbeat— Everything had changed after that. She'd been walking around in a bubble.

She'd started to feel the berry's movements – her child's movements. At first, she'd felt as if someone had poked her from the inside or kind of like a little fish or butterfly trying to swim or fly inside her. Odd sensation, amazing - but weird at the same time - it was unlike anything she'd ever experienced before and it had consumed her wholeheartedly.

A smile spread across her face as something fluttered below her hand, a tickling brush of movements inside, warming her from top to toe. She couldn't see the berry move yet, but, she felt it and morning had quickly turned into her favorite time of day. However, Duke didn't seem to agree with her as he continued to snore beside her.

Elena checked her phone for messages and emails, she snapped a picture of her retriever as he rested beside her. Life had changed so drastically, so quickly and she'd felt the necessary need to put Damon on hold.

They'd been so open with each other at the restaurant and she'd meant every word. She wanted him in more than one way – that hadn't really changed. She'd just been so consumed with the berry and everything else regarding her whole pregnancy. Her mind was somewhere else and she had trouble collecting her emotions. Damon was a part of her everyday life and it was getting harder and harder for her to ignore the growing feelings she had towards him.

In order to occupy her mind and raging hormones – she'd spent a lot of time at the shelter and helping her parents at the vet station with simple tasks. She'd also been shopping with Caroline – turned out the blonde was quite nice and understanding once you really got to know her.

A fluttering movement caused her heart to skip a beat and she smiled as Duke noticed. He looked up at her, tilting his head.

* * *

 **DUKE**

Duke opened his eyes and looked at Mama Elena as she shifted. He'd said it before and he was likely to say it again – something was seriously wrong with his human. The sound was distant and familiar yet it was unlike anything he'd ever heard coming from her. He could tell when she was hungry because he could usually hear the rumble of her echoing tummy but something was different... Why did she smile if she was hungry? Duke never smiled when he was hungry.

His senses caused him to scoot closer and Mama Elena allowed him to place his head on her lower belly and for a brief moment he could hear something– Nah, couldn't have– He stilled again, something just– something just moved. It was just a flicker of a movement but he'd felt it! Duke nudged the belly with his nose, leaning his head to the side – waiting, watching.

"It's your sister."

Duke looked at Mama Elena. What was she talking about? A sister? Where? His earlier assessment must've been right – his human was slowly losing it. But, Duke was loyal and would stay with her no matter what. He nudged her belly again, tilting his head. Yeah, there was something really fishy going on in there.

* * *

 **DAMON**

The last couple of weeks had been a complete blur due to their conversation at the restaurant. Damon had been walking around with naughty thoughts of Elena ever since and he couldn't seem to erase her words. 'I want you.'

She'd caused something to stir up inside him and he wanted to act on it, he really did, but he still felt as if the invisible wall between them – got bigger, wider and taller – somehow. Damon didn't like it.

They'd talked so openly at the restaurant, both still high on emotions after the ultrasound. The weird yet welcoming feeling of unknown happiness rushed through his chest as he thought of the sonogram images Elena had placed on the kitchen counter once they'd gotten home that afternoon. She'd been in a hurry to call her mother with the details and he'd found himself staring at the black and white contours, wondering what the baby would actually look like. He'd pinned the sonogram images on the refrigerator door. He'd also snapped a picture with his phone and then he'd cursed himself for turning into such a sap.

So yeah, after the appointment with Dr. Flowers, something inside Elena seemed to have shifted into place and it bothered him that she didn't seem to want to let him all the way in. She wasn't as talkative and it itched a part of his brain. She hadn't pulled away completely, they still talked and it caused him to feel something somewhat similar to hope but he wasn't sure what to believe. Not that he'd been the one to open his mouth and place some necessary ground rules between them – Elena had taken matters into her own hands, letting him know that she was okay with him kissing her. And sure, they'd kissed once or twice since their discussion at the restaurant but it had never catapulted them into more. Damon wanted more, good Lord, he wanted more.

They'd both admitted to wanting each other naked but then what? The growing affection was intense yet oddly scary. Was it fascinating? Yes. Did it scare the living crap out of him? Hell yes, but still, he wanted to act on it, wanted to explore it, wanted to kiss and snuggle up against her. He felt as if he was on the brink of losing his mind. He'd never been one to snuggle, but as of right now, he could barely think of anything else. The mere thought of holding her in his arms through the night – it haunted him.

Elena had managed to nestle her way into some part of his dark heart and she'd put up a tent with lamps, furniture, cooking utensils, Duke and a pregnancy. It was weird and slightly nerve-wracking to be so childishly unaware of where things could go between them.

Because yes, Damon was scared – scared of the consequences of everything surrounding them and well, the elephant in the room. The elephant being Stefan. His brother hadn't tried to contact him since Damon had dismissed his call. No worries! As long as Stefan stayed out of the way, things seemed to float a lot better, things seemed so much easier without him.

Damon rarely thought of Elena's berry as Stefan's unborn child, he didn't even think of Stefan as the father or as an active part of Elena's life – it just didn't fit the equation in his head.

He shook his head and gulped down some of his coffee, the burning sensation spreading warmth throughout his body as he swallowed the hot liquid. He stared at his laptop. He didn't feel like working but knew he would have to stick with the deadline or his father would threaten to kill him. A part of him wanted to scream at the man.

It had been one hell of a week at the office and his father had oh so kindly reminded him of the upcoming event his mother had planned for the company. He'd groaned, remembering that they would be going on a three-day cruise with all his coworkers and their significant others. Instead of a vacation, his father had made it a habit of spoiling his employees with a getaway every now and then. 'You gotta give it to get it.' Had been Giuseppe's words.

Damon cringed. The absolute last thing he wanted was to be forced to spend time with his parents, mingling, keeping a straight face and pretending that he was perfectly fine with kissing ass.

He'd been so moody as of late and couldn't seem to figure out why; until he'd listened to Elena and Dr. Flowers talk about her symptoms yesterday. She'd mentioned feeling moody, hungrier, tired, elated, sad and so on and then – he'd been stupid enough to admit that he'd felt a little moody as well and Dr. Flowers had asked him if he knew what couvade syndrome was. He'd rolled his eyes. He'd never heard of it.

Then, Dr. Flowers had continued to explain that his so-called symptoms could very likely be connected to Elena's. Because, apparently – he was experiencing couvade syndrome, also known as sympathetic pregnancy.

Oh, hell no! He'd darted out of that examination room first chance he'd got. Whatever that thing was, couvade– shit- sympathetic– whatever it meant, he did not fit the description! At least that's what he'd tried to convince himself of as he'd googled the word last night. According to some internet sites, 90% of daddies-to-be experienced at least one phantom pregnancy symptom while their partner was pregnant and he'd groaned out loud. Fucking hell!

He wasn't used to having a pregnant woman living in his apartment. He hadn't signed up for a sympathetic pregnancy! Did Dr. Flowers expect him to gain weight as well? Shit.

He ruffled his hair, grabbed the back of his neck with both hands and massaged the side of his neck.

He'd overheard Elena on the phone – as she'd talked to her mother the other day and she'd been complaining about heartburn. Damon didn't know much about pregnancy symptoms or the things concerning the condition of creating life but apparently, it was normal to experience if you ate certain foods. Now that he actually thought about it – he might've experienced a little burning sensation in the back of h–

"Damon?"

The soft sound of Elena's voice reached his ears as she peeked into his home office, obviously worried about bothering him if he was busy. He looked up at her, noticed the messy bun on top of her head, the black t-shirt and dark yoga pants. It didn't really matter that she was in yoga pants, lacked makeup or heels – she had him firing on all cylinders without even trying.

"Are you busy?"

"No." He closed his laptop as if to prove his point. "I need a break or my eyes will slowly succumb to death. Why, what is it?"

"Well, I was wondering if…" She fidgeted with her hands, stepping into the office, offering him, her iPhone. "You might think it's a silly idea but I was wondering if you could take a picture of my belly?"

"You want me to take a picture of your– uh, belly?"

"I just thought it could be fun to snap some pictures, like once a week and compare them."

He looked at her, slightly confused. She wasn't even showing yet. His eyes wandered to her stomach and back up to her face. Nope, she was as flat as the day he'd met her but he accepted the phone as she held it out to him. He got up from the chair. As he rounded his desk, she surprised him by pulling off her t-shirt, actually shocking him with the sight of her in yoga pants and a simple, white, lace bra. He gulped. Wow. She was glorious.

Quietly, she turned to her side, looking at him as his breath hitched in his throat. She frowned, concern slipping into her eyes. "What's wrong?"

Damon blinked. He was slightly awed, not completely floored but, affected nonetheless as he stared at the tiny yet visible protruding bump just below her navel. You couldn't see it when she was all dressed up but half naked – you could definitely tell something was growing inside her. Something warm spread inside him as he eyed her midsection. Why pretend to lie, he was– well, damn it – he was floored.

"You're showing."

He didn't really mean for his words to sound so hoarse but they obviously did as she chuckled at him, causing him to meet her brown eyes. He gulped, her eyes sparkled with giddiness and he couldn't help but feel all soft and gooey inside.

"I am?" She bit her lower lip, smiling softly. "You don't think it's the weight gain?"

"No." He said sternly, shaking his head while gazing at her lower midsection. According to Dr. Flowers, she'd barely gained any weight. "I'm serious, you've got a tiny bump. I can see it. Back up a couple of steps and I'll snap a picture."

She did as she was told and Damon snapped pictures from all the different angles he could possibly come up with. Elena glanced at him as he fell to his knees, crawling a little closer, tilting both his head and the phone at the same time.

"You're cute." She snickered.

He glared up at her from the floor. "I'm not cute."

"Are you done?"

"No!" He chided. "Don't move."

"You've snapped fifty pictures by now."

"Hush, just tilt your head to the side." He argued. "Perfect."

He noticed her trying to bite back a laugh and he winked playfully at her. She rolled her eyes in return. Ten minutes later and Damon handed her phone back to her, grinning.

"Maybe, you should be a photographer." She remarked over her shoulder, attempting to leave the room as he grabbed her by the hips, pulling her to him, her back flush against his chest – so close that she could feel his heart pound through his ribcage.

She was still holding her t-shirt in her hands and he slowly pulled it out of her grasp.

"Oh yeah?" He nuzzled his head into the crook of her neck, placing a soft kiss just below her ear. "What if I want to try something else?"

"Like—" She breathed, flustered. "Like what?"

"Like…" He whispered and carefully cupped her breasts, the fabric of her bra soft under his fingers. "I ache to touch you."

Elena leaned back against him, resting her head on his shoulder as he slowly moved his hands down her belly, circling her navel with his fingers, continuing to the waistband of her yoga pants before moving up to cup her breasts gently once more.

"You have to tell me what you want." He mumbled as he kissed her neck, following her pulsing vein with his tongue. She smelled amazing. "Do you want me to touch you?"

The anticipation of her answer was slowly killing him as she tilted her head to the side and met his eyes. Her brown eyes were practically glowing with intensity. She licked her lips, and his growing erection twitched. He rested his hands just above the line of her pants.

"Please, just do it." Her plea left her softly and he couldn't stop himself.

With his left arm placed securely around her waist and the other dipping into her pants – he locked eyes with her. He stroked her over the fabric of her underwear and she inhaled sharply, exhaling with a shuddered breath that had his cock twitching with eager excitement once again.

And as much as he wanted to just bury himself inside her and do all sorts of wicked things to her body – this wasn't about him. She was the centerpiece. All he wanted as of right now – was to please her with his fingers, have her shaking in his arms, holding her up as her knees buckled in time with her climax.

There was no reason for him to state the obvious, she was soaked through her underwear and he moved the fabric to the side as she quietly urged him to continue his exploration of her body. Without a single word, he caressed her folds, sighing as the wet, slick heat beckoned him to sink a finger into her warm and welcoming core.

"Damon."

A hushed moan escaped her as she spread her legs wider, tilting her hips, basically causing two of his fingers to slip inside her. He broke eye contact with her, latching his mouth onto the soft skin of her neck, trailing kisses up and down her throat, sucking just above her pulse point.

How was it possible for something so simple to be so freaking erotic? She was so wet, warm and shit – she was perfect beyond belief. She bucked her hips and he moved his fingers, slowly at first. Finding her bundle of nerves, carefully touching it with soft movements, causing her to press her back harder against his chest. She sighed and closed her eyes as he nibbled at her earlobe. If her reaction was any indication, Damon rubbed her in all the right places.

He throbbed in his jeans as she pressed her bottom against him, moving her hips in circles as he shifted and beckoned his fingers inside her warmth, the palm of his hand massaging both labia and clit.

Elena was starting to squirm and his arm locked closer around her as he held her upright, letting her know that he was there in case she'd fall.

He continued to nuzzle the crook of her neck, alternating between kissing and licking her delicate skin. He applied more pressure against the bundle of nerves as she started panting and rocking her hips, basically riding his hand, pushing herself towards the edge. It was beautiful. She was beautiful.

And the sounds coming from her. God, he adored the sounds she made and his erection ached with bewilderment, craving the attention of her touch, but no. Damon could wait. He was so caught up in everything going on with Elena and that was pleasurable enough. For now.

He lifted his head to look at her as she leaned back against him, her head thrown back on his shoulder as she bit her lower lip, gasps escaping her.

And as if she could feel his eyes on her, she pressed her behind against him, rubbing his member through the fabric of their clothes before opening her eyes to stare at him.

She was so hot, her skin burning as she pressed against him, her hands sneaking up behind his head, cradling the back of his neck, pulling him towards her mouth. Once he closed his eyes and his lips found hers in gratitude – Damon groaned, her inner walls almost cramping around his fingers, hot fluids of her orgasm flowing over his hand, knowing damn well… that everything had changed between them.

* * *

 _Be kind enough to leave a review or just a smile =)  
Love, Quinn_


	9. Chapter 9: 20 weeks

**AN;** Enjoy!

* * *

 **20 WEEKS**

 **ELENA**

She'd always found him sexy but something inside her had changed. She wanted him with a ferocity that couldn't be tamed with either masturbation, chocolate or exercise. Elena had to admit that she'd indulged in all three things but nothing had helped. She had no idea what to do with herself. She was so sensitive, her entire body screamed at her to just jump him. Damon, on the other hand, seemed to be completely clueless and she'd tried her best to actually flirt with him. But no. Nothing.

She loved that he respected her body and that he wanted her to feel safe and secure but hell, she wanted him – needed him with so much pent up emotions that it was hard for her to even function normally.

Then there was the issue of Stefan. A logical part of her screamed at her to just stay away from Damon, because, well– because of, Stefan. But then again, Stefan was nowhere to be found, seen or heard of – so, why did she have to behave?

She was supposed to be seen out and about with Damon on a regular basis now that she was starting to sport a tiny bump, so why not make it believable? Why not kiss and go all out?

She was now halfway through her pregnancy and she'd started to show. She'd also noticed that her clothes felt far from comfortable. Even though she still had a nice waist and her figure quite intact, she'd started to feel hot and bothered ever so often. Sweating like a pig for no reason, filled to the brim with lust. She was turned on, warm and craving release – being pregnant was so glamorous, or so she'd been told. Her libido had spiked through the roof like the flick of a switch and she hated it. Okay, maybe she didn't hate it but was so sensitive that the mere brush of fabric against her nipples caused her to lust for his touch… Hot, quick, dirty, kinky fuckery. Elena wanted him. There was no other way to explain it.

"Elena?"

After what had happened in Damon's office she couldn't think straight with him near. All she thought about was him – naked, above her, between her legs, tasting her, fuckin–

"Elena..."

She looked up to meet the blue eyes that managed to pierce right through her as he frowned at her. "Huh, what?"

"What are you thinking about?"

She blushed. Us, sweating, naked and– Focus, Elena or he'll see right through your exterior. Focus. "Nothing."

He narrowed his eyes and shut the laptop. He rose from his seat at the kitchen island and made his way over to her.

Elena felt her heart leap in her chest and she tried to calm her raging hormones. She leaned back, her hands resting behind her on the countertop as he closed in on her. He was casually dressed in dark jeans and a grey t-shirt, showing off his biceps - how was it possible for arms to be sexy?

Elena blinked. He was close enough for her to smell him if she wanted to. And boy, did she want to sniff him! Geez, she wanted to inhale him, bury her face in the crook of his neck, fist his shirt and just, well– sniff him for as long as she needed in order to get her fix. He made the situation worse as he leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers, his mouth close and inviting.

'Do not sniff him, Elena. Don't do it!' Her inner goddess continued to repeat the words in her head but she couldn't help herself. She tilted her head to the side and inhaled him deeply, shamelessly and without thinking twice about it. 'Good Lord!' He smelled so good! She was a goner.

Why did he have to be so mouthwatering, sexy and ridiculously hot all the freaking time? Even though he'd had her wrapped in his arms, her muscles clenching around his fingers as she'd orgasmed - right there, in his office – he'd still been the one to pull the brakes once they got below his own midsection. It was starting to annoy her. She wanted to touch him just as he'd touched her. Elena wanted to see him squirm and writhe beneath her hands as she explored his body.

"Did you– did you just sniff me?"

"Shit!" She whispered under her breath, hiding her face in her hands as he took a step back to look at her.

"Elena." He grabbed her by her wrists, yanking her closer as he forced her to look up at him. "Why'd you sniff me?"

"Because…" She trailed off, embarrassed, to say the least, her body tingling with a sting of shame. "Because you smell so– so– SO amazingly good."

He smirked and released a burst of laughter she'd never heard from him before. She eyed him suspiciously and pulled out of his grip. Was he laughing at her? Making fun of her?

"Don't laugh at me. I can't help it. It's a pregnancy thing. I've even read stuff about a woman in Europe, she ate her own wallpaper. Cravings are weird, Damon."

"I'm not laughing." He chuckled.

"Yes, you are." Elena pouted, trying to prove her point but failing miserably.

"Fine, I'm laughing but only because it's cute as hell. You're cute as hell."

"What? How can it be cute? I just inhaled so deeply that a piece of you probably got stuck in there!" She pointed at her nose.

"I don't mind. I'm right here. You can sniff me all you want, whenever you want, baby."

"You're embarrassing me."

He put his hands on her hips, pulling her closer and backing her up against the counter. Without hesitation, he bent down, picked her up and placed her on the countertop, spreading her bare legs, nuzzling himself in between her thighs.

She was dressed in a yellow sundress that fit her new curves perfectly.

"There's nothing you can do or say to embarrass yourself in front of me. Honestly, it's kind of a turn on that you want to smell me." He mumbled, a cocky grin on his face.

"Really?" Elena met his eyes and his grin softened into a quirky smile.

"Yeah. Can't you tell?" He gripped her hips tighter and tilted his own so that she could feel just how she affected him.

He pressed nicely against her and she wanted to roll her hips, wanted more friction, needed more friction but he disappointed her when he placed a chaste kiss on her lips and backed away, leaving her flushed and ready for more than he would offer. He grabbed his laptop from the kitchen island, briefly informing her that he would be working from home.

Her thoughts wandered as she slipped off the counter. She would be okay with him dry humping her if he didn't want to go all the way. Or he could just let her ogle him while he cleaned the living room, preferably naked and– God, her hormones would slowly drive her to the brink of insanity – because of what exactly – the lack of a sex life? She groaned and headed towards the stairs.

"Duke! We need fresh air, let's go!"

* * *

"Elena?"

Dr. Flowers frowned as she peeked out of her office. "I'm sorry, I don't remember us having an appointment scheduled for today."

"No, we don't but I called earlier and your secretary said I could drop by in case you had some free time. I kind of need your advice."

"Of course. Come in." Dr. Flowers nodded, opening the door, motioning for her to enter.

The older woman took a seat behind her desk as Elena tried to compose herself. She'd left Duke at the shelter with Caroline and was starting to regret the decision – this would probably be very awkward – but, she had to. She was there for a reason. She inhaled sharply, collecting her racing thoughts and the embarrassment simmering below the surface.

"I was thinking, more like— wondering, after my bleeding, I wasn't informed about—" She probably flushed red as a tomato. She couldn't see herself but she could feel the heat spreading across her face. "Is it okay to— you know— to have—"

"Intercourse?" Dr. Flowers asked.

"Uh—" Elena cleared her throat. "Um, yes."

Why was she so embarrassed? Dr. Flowers examined vaginas on a daily basis – questions about sex had to be a common subject. She tried to calm her nerves.

"How far along were you when the bleeding occurred?"

"Approximately twelve weeks."

"I see. Well, did you have sex regularly before the bleeding?"

"No."

"Well, then, I can examine you if you'd like but I don't think it's necessary. You bled but your bleeding stopped shortly thereafter and according to the ultrasound everything seems to be perfectly fine. It's not much of a comfort but we can't always explain how or why these type of bleedings occur but I don't think you have to worry unless you're experiencing pain or discomfort. So, I'd say go for it, if it's what you want."

"So—" Elena trailed off, uncertainty still hanging low above her. "I'm allowed to have sex?"

"Yes, Elena. You're allowed to have sex." Dr. Flowers smiled. "Just make sure to stop if you experience pain or any kind of discomfort. Sometimes, certain positions can feel rather unpleasant – for example, lying on your back can cause nausea and dizziness. You could try spooning or changing position when necessary."

"Okay." She nodded, her cheeks heating, just the thought of Damon spooning her, naked and hard, oh my–

"Elena, it's perfectly natural and normal to still feel sexual arousal while pregnant. Intimacy with your partner is still as important as it was before."

With my partner, she thought. Dr. Flowers didn't know anything about the relationship or the arrangement, so, therefore, she probably just assumed that Damon was the father. Dr. Flowers had never asked, had never snooped and she'd never caused Elena to feel inferior or stupid for asking questions.

"But he– we, um– sex won't hurt the baby?" Elena had scanned her magazines and already knew the answer to that question but still, she needed Dr. Flowers to say it out loud.

"Some men find it a little disturbing, thinking they might probe or hurt the baby in the process but that's not very likely."

"Good to know." Elena exhaled, some of the embarrassment subsiding as they talked.

Elena continued to nod, embarrassed but thankful for Dr. Flowers impeccable sense of integrity as she maneuvered above and beyond to answer her questions – questions that Dr. Flowers most likely had to answer over and over throughout her days at her private practice.

* * *

 **DAMON**

She'd smelled him and she'd basically moaned in pleasure while doing so. He'd been intrigued and had wanted to strip her of her clothes. Hell, he'd wanted to strip for her, throw his clothes to the floor. He'd wanted her to smell and sniff him as much as she could without overindulging – if that was even possible. The clear disappointment in her eyes once he'd backed away from her had caused a part of him to ache with regret.

He'd asked himself why he'd stopped. It had absolutely nothing to do with the baby. The pregnancy didn't really bother him. Stefan, on the other hand – was the problem and he didn't know how to handle it. And speaking of the devil – his phone buzzed in his pocket and Damon blinked as he stared at the caller ID showing up on his phone. About fucking time.

"Stefan."

"You never called me back." Stefan accused.

"Are you still in L.A?"

"Maybe."

Damon rolled his eyes. The sound of loud music blaring in the background, resulted in his brother yelling at the top of his lungs. He hadn't talked to Stefan for months and didn't really know what to say without sounding like a parent scolding a teenager – so, he just said what was on his mind.

"Elena's doing well. She's starting to show."

Silence and then…

"Okay."

"She's got a tiny bump, but the baby's growing," Damon assured.

"Okay."

"You know, you could at least pretend to be interested, Stefan."

"The fuck are you talking about? I thought you'd fixed things! Dad said you took care of it! Seriously, Damon, why can't you just stand up for your little brother when he needs you? We're family!"

"Yes!" Damon snapped. "We're family! And I'm telling you that Elena's a part of our family whether you like it or not! You made sure of that!"

"She should've just agreed to the abortion!"

"Ah, fuck you, Stefan!" The boiling blood in Damon's body turned into ice and his veins basically cracked as he gritted his teeth with unspoken anger. "Don't you ever mention that again."

"Fuck you! Why do you even care?" Stefan spat. "It's not like you want her! By all means, have at it! Sloppy seconds have always been your style."

"If you were here, I'd–"

"You'd what? Kick my ass?"

"Yes! Get your fucking shit together!"

He ended the call without a goodbye, his hands shaking with the anger rising inside him. Fuck! The overwhelming urge to kick his brother's ass had him pacing back and forth in the living room for about twenty minutes.

He needed to talk to Elena, needed the soothing sound of her voice as she reminisced about her younger years at the lakehouse, needed her presence to ground him before his emotions caused him to explode into a million pieces. He craved her in a way he'd never realized before and it scared the shit out of him. The phone call had just been the tip of the iceberg – he was so freaking tired of putting everyone else in front of his own hopes, dreams, and needs. He'd reached his limit.

* * *

 **ELENA**

"Seriously, these cupcakes are awesome!" Elena exclaimed with Duke sitting at her side, wagging his tail, his eyes doubled in size as he eyed the baked goods on Caroline's desk.

The chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese had her humming with happy taste buds. Her blood sugar would spike, go on a rollercoaster ride and probably crash within the next thirty minutes or so. She knew she wasn't allowed to indulge but she ate when she was nervous and none wanted to eat salad when serious thinking needed to be tackled with a friend. Cupcakes managed to cure the most obsessive thoughts, so why not?

"Oh, I know. I'm awesome!" The blonde shrugged casually. "Talking about awesome, how's Damon?"

Elena mimicked Caroline's earlier shrug and grimaced at the thought of him possibly not wanting her the way she wanted him. "I don't know."

"What? What do you mean, you don't know? Come on, details! He gave you the biggest O of your life and–"

"Caroline!" Elena hushed her friend as her father passed them - totally oblivious to what the heck they were talking about - thank God! "That's confidential information!"

"Yes, of course, and I haven't told anyone! You gotta have some faith! Girl, you can trust me." She snapped her fingers as if to really bring sass to their conversation. "From what you told me, he's obviously hot for you."

"I don't– I don't know. Things are complicated."

Elena had told Caroline about the arrangement and was thankful for her company. She always listened, didn't always hand out awesome advice but it didn't really matter. Elena had found a friend in her, a confidante that she could share her thoughts with. She'd never had friends that could be considered actual friends, so she enjoyed stopping by the shelter, gossiping whenever she got the chance.

"Of course they're complicated." Caroline rolled her eyes. "He's a man, he doesn't know what he wants, you have to guide him."

"Guide him? How?"

"Duh, seduce him. Honestly, I'm surprised you haven't already. Hey, don't blush! We've talked about this, there's nothing to be embarrassed about. Sex is natural." Caroline sounded way too enthusiastic.

"I know." Elena nodded, finishing her cupcake. "It's like he wants to but then he stops. He pulls away and like I said– I don't know. I'm worried, maybe I'm the problem. The bump–"

"Hey! There's nothing wrong with your baby bump, it's cute and if his eyes work the way they're supposed to, he knows it as well."

"I think it's because of Stefan," Elena whispered.

She'd suspected his brother was the reason Damon held back and she didn't really know how to approach the subject. They'd talked about him and she'd made sure to tell him that there had been no feelings between them whatsoever, that fateful night when they'd met.

"Well, can you blame him?" Caroline asked, eyeing Duke as he stared at the cupcake in her hand. "His brother got you pregnant, he might be scared that things will develop further between the two of you once the baby's born."

"No. No way." Elena shook her head dismissively. "Stefan's made it perfectly clear that he doesn't care. He doesn't want to be involved, I don't want him to be involved. He wanted me to have an abortion, Caroline."

"Yeah, I know."

"So, what do I do?" Elena sighed.

"I think you should go after what you want. It can't hurt. Worst case scenario, he turns you down."

* * *

 **DAMON**

He'd finally calmed down after the heated phone call and was seated in his home office, trying to make sense of some work-related stuff when Elena appeared at the door, peeking inside to meet his eyes. She'd been away most of the day and relief flooded him as she sent him a soft smile. A second later, he tensed up, noticing her elated breathing and red cheeks. 'Shit, what was wrong? Was it the baby?'

He was about to get up but she motioned for him to sit back down and he eyed her cautiously a second time. She was– she was flustered, her eyes raking over him, looking at him as if she was currently undressing him in her mind. 'Well, what do we have here?'

He smirked at her and she surprised him as she moved across the room with hasty steps, straddling him in his chair, smiling mischievously as his arms snaked around her waist. She brushed her lips against his and he groaned when she started pulling at the belt, working on the top button of his jeans.

"Not that I'm complaining," He breathed. "But what are you doing, baby?"

"I don't want to wait for the perfect moment because I don't think it exists. I know what I want."

"Elena."

"Lately, I've felt as if you don't want me and if it's the bump then I get that– I mean, christ– I can hide it with a shirt or something–"

"Elen–"

"And if you're worried about the baby or whether or not intercourse could cause new bleedings; don't worry about it. You won't hurt me or the baby. And I'm clean, so no diseases or anything like that to worry about either."

"Elena."

"And if it's about Stefan, then I get that as well, but he's not here. He doesn't want me and I don't want him, that will never change. I promise. I want to be here, right now, with you. I'm going after what I want and if you don't want me then–"

"Elena!" Damon almost shouted as she inhaled sharply, finally looking at him.

"What?" She asked, her lower lip quivering.

"You thought I didn't want you?"

Dumbfounded, he stared at her, wondering what he'd done to deserve to have her so close, wondering what she really meant.

"Well– I…"

"Because, I thought I made it very clear that I do want you, last week, just a couple of feet from where we're sitting right now."

She squirmed against him as he grabbed her by the hips and moved, grinding her center against him. Why couldn't he have what he wanted? Why? He wanted his brother's girl. But Elena wasn't Stefan's girl - still, there was a strong connection between them, one that would always be there.

Fucking hell, there was nothing holding him back! Not really! Some moral dilemma of some sort, sure! But other than that? Nothing!

"First off, I do want you." He assured, his hands finding the hem of her yellow sundress, stroking her thighs. "Second, I don't mind the bump, I never have. Honestly, you're sexy as fuck, okay? Seriously, I can barely contain myself."

"Really?" She laughed at the pained expression on his face as she rolled her hips.

"Third, I'm clean, no diseases here. I've always been safe and I've made sure to test myself regularly."

"Good to know."

"And fourth, I'm big, Elena, but I'm not that big." He grinned at her as she bit her lower lip, trying to contain the bubble of laughter that obviously wanted to escape her.

"Um, you mentioned a baseball bat." She snickered.

"I did," Damon smirked and she pressed down on him, rocking against his erection, causing tiny jolts of electricity to spread throughout his thighs and lower stomach. He grabbed the hem of the dress and pulled it up and over her head, revealing a white bra and perfect, plump breasts.

The easy laughter turned into quiet chuckling and heavy breathing as the atmosphere changed around them. Elena eyed him with so much adoration and need that he was afraid he would burst at the seams. The anticipation was slowly building and killing him at the same time.

"Is this what you want?"

"Yes." She breathed.

And then his mouth was on hers, seeking and exploring while his hands roamed her naked back.

With joined forces, they managed to push his pants down his legs; releasing his erection from the strain in his boxers, Elena's eager hands guiding him to where she needed him the most. To his immense shock and explosive pleasure, she lowered herself over him, no hesitation, no holding back on her part. Elena was beyond beautiful as she took him, her hands pulling at the hem of his shirt, eager to be close. He grabbed the shirt behind his neck and pulled it over his head and she sighed appreciatively; he couldn't help but smirk at her expression. He growled out loud as she allowed him to bury himself to the hilt. His eyes rolling back in his head as he involuntarily tightened his grip on her hips, shivering, keeping her still and steady, allowing her body to adjust around him, allowing himself to catch his breath. She tentatively rocked her hips as if trying him out and he groaned.

"You have to give me a minute."

"What? Why?" She breathed, eyeing him, confused, her eyes dark with lust. "I thought you wanted to–"

"Oh, believe me, I want to and we're going to." He assured, quickly. "But if you move so much as a single inch this will probably end way too soon for both of our likings."

"Oh." She bit her lower lip, blushing crimson.

"Now you're blushing?" He teased, working on her bra, freeing her, wanting to be able to touch as much of her skin as possible. "Seriously? You're the one seducing me!"

"Oh, god." She hissed as his lips latched onto her skin, a moan escaping her as he bit down on her shoulder, his tongue darting out to lick at the spot where he'd nipped her with his teeth before catching the pebbled nipple in his mouth.

* * *

 **ELENA**

She felt… bold, so very bold and sexy. With Damon's hands placed firmly on her hips, she sneaked her arms around his shoulders, meeting his mouth. She could smell him if she wanted to and she did, sighing with relief as he started moving in his seat. It wasn't what you would call fucking or lovemaking. Not that she needed a label but it was intense, so intense that the slow and rocking motions of their hips meeting one another; had them panting within minutes. It wasn't sex. It was something in between everything else she could've ever imagined.

She felt every inch of him, every movement, every breath, every kiss - she felt everything and the ecstatic feeling of release closing in on her caused her eyes to tear up. The explosion of emotions had her trembling in his arms, shaking violently as they merged, the creaking of the chair, the only sound coming from their bodies as they clashed against one another, reaching for oblivion. Nothing could have prepared her for the tornado wreaking havoc on her insides. Seconds later, her entire world shifted and stars exploded around her.

* * *

 **DAMON**

"I can't believe you didn't wear undies," Damon said as he rolled to his side, looking at her.

"Hey, I'd worn them all day, I discarded them before jumping you."

"Whatever you say."

"It's true!" She insisted as he laughed at her, crawling closer so that he could bury his face in the crook of her neck.

She tilted her hips mischievously and he lifted his head to look at her. Damon arched a brow. She was insatiable and he did not mind one single bit! Kissing his way down her neck, latching onto her collarbone, sliding his tongue over the puckered nipples, she bucked her hips.

"Nah." He grinned, a certain husky tone of demand in his voice.

"What are you doing?"

He looked up at her as he kissed down her stomach, stopping at the protruding bump.

"You really thought I didn't want you because of her?" He asked quietly, brushing his fingers across her protruding bump, placing a feather light kiss on her belly.

"Yes."

"I really don't want to mention or even think of my brother right now, but I've never thought of him when thinking about you being pregnant." He admitted. "I've never thought of you as his, you know."

"Yeah, I know."

"I think you're beautiful with your little bump." He nuzzled her thigh and inhaled her scent, arousal rushing through him. "And I think you smell amazing. I bet you even taste amazing."

"No uh, don't even think about it." She warned, blushing as he looked up at her as he tried to pinpoint what she was feeling, what she was thinking.

"I want–" Kiss on the thigh. "To–" Nibbling on her thigh. "Eat you up."

"Where do we go from here?" She asked, leaning back against the mountain of pillows, a peal of soft laughter escaping her as his tongue darted out to lick her skin.

"I can think of a few," Damon kissed the inside of her thigh, moving closer to her center. "Places."

"I'm serious." She raked her fingers through his disheveled hair and yanked his head backward, forcing him to look up at her. "Are we fuckbuddies now?"

"What kind of a man do you think I am?" He gasped, clutching his chest with his free hand, the other massaging her thigh. "It's obvious you're my girlfriend."

The words sounded downright easy and perfect in his own ears but he glanced at her over her protruding bump, meeting her brown doe eyes.

"Girlfriend?" She smiled down at him, looking at him as if questioning his sanity.

"Yes."

"What about the arrangement?"

"That's the last thing on my mind right now. Besides, we don't have to label what's going on between us. I've been inside you, I want to be inside you, that's what I'd like to focus on. You can be my girlfriend if you want to, but what happened in my office earlier kind of transpired girlfriend, don't you think?"

"Yes." She nodded. "But is that what you want? Is this what y–"

"Yes," Damon smirked, leaving wet, open-mouthed kisses on her skin, working his way to her center, brushing above her clit.

She gasped as he flicked the tip of his tongue over her bundle of nerves, still slightly swollen from earlier ministrations and begging for his undivided attention. God, she smelled amazing. Tasted amazing! He felt like a starved man – a very sex deprived and starved man but whatever.

He'd never wanted to devour a woman like he wanted to devour her; it was insane. He kissed all of her, licked every spot he could reach with both his tongue and fingers, he licked at her, sucked, stroked and massaged. Her hands came to rest on his shoulders before she continued raking her fingers through his hair. Damon groaned as she grabbed a fistful of his dark strands and tugged at it.

* * *

 **ELENA**

Elena yawned as she woke up to an empty room, sprawled out comfortably on Damon's bed, she stretched and stroked her bump, sighing with delight as she remembered yesterday. The events of their shared night weren't lost on her; Damon had touched and reached for so many spots and parts of her, that she barely even knew existed.

Their coupling in his office had been quick and dirty, yet soft and careful. The second time - because yes - he'd been able to go full commando within an hour after he'd been buried inside her the first time - they'd been a lot more explorative with one another. He'd basically eaten her till she couldn't breathe properly and then he'd crawled off of the bed, grabbed her wrists and pulled her towards the edge, entering her in one swift motion.

Their third time he'd started nibbling on her shoulder as she'd stirred awake an hour before dawn, his hands caressing her hips and bare breasts. Elena had arched into him as he'd spooned her and slipped in between her thighs and she'd bucked against him, arched her back to his chest, needing more of his length, more of him.

Her earlier sexual encounters had been few, slightly awkward and not nearly as erotic as having sex with Damon. She'd always been the one on her back, never on top, never on her side, never on her knees and she'd been perfectly fine with that.

But as Damon had crawled closer to her, gathered her in his arms and pressed himself against her, she'd wanted him with such intensity, so much ferocity; that he'd been able to just slip in between her legs, burying himself right where she wanted him, needed him.

He'd had her panting, squirming and writhing beneath his hands and nothing had ever felt as good before. She was extra sensitive, everywhere - she liked it - enjoyed the fact that every nerve ending caused the emotions of being enhanced with explosions whenever he kissed her. She'd received oral before but it had been sloppy and wet - and not in a good way. But Damon…

She blushed just thinking about him and how he'd affected her last night. Damon had been gentle when necessary, rougher when she'd begged and so cocky when she'd gasped his name. He'd worshipped her new curves, he'd kissed every inch of skin available to his lips. Things felt easier than they had in a long time and the smell of coffee and pancakes made its way through the bedroom door. He was cooking breakfast for them. She would have to tread lightly or she would become lazy and spoiled.

* * *

 _Be kind enough to leave a review or just a smile =)  
Love, Quinn_


	10. Chapter 10: 22 weeks

**AN;** Enjoy!

* * *

 **22 WEEKS**

 **DAMON**

"Happy nineteenth birthday." Damon looked over his shoulder before planting a chaste kiss on her mouth.

He'd started to feel a lot more comfortable around her parents but didn't think the older Gilbert would appreciate it if he let his hands wander over his daughter's body and allowing himself to kiss her with tongue. Damon had to admit that he wasn't much for PDA but Elena had changed something in him after that day in his office.

She'd taken charge, stormed the castle, blown the candles out or whatever you could possibly call it. She'd basically and literally grabbed him by the– Well, by the goods and guided him home. The thing about his earlier evaporated libido, yeah, that was no longer a problem. He'd transformed into a teenager; constantly horny as fuck and hungry, always hungry. He blamed Elena.

She was at twenty-two weeks and her own sex drive had kicked into high gear. Apparently, pregnant women either turned into nuns or porn stars. Elena was over the top and he had nothing to complain about. She was insatiable and he loved the fact that she didn't hold back.

He'd told her to just go for it. He'd told her to use him however and whenever she wanted, he was a willing participant, to say the least. The explosiveness he always experienced with her was unlike anything he'd ever felt before but her parents' kitchen wasn't an option when it came to sporting a hard on that could soon hammer nails to the wall. He had to blink in order to control himself as his thoughts started to reveal the growth of something down south. This was so not the place for an erection right now.

"Thank you." She pecked his lips, grabbed a fistful of his shirt, pulled him down to her mouth and kissed him once more before leaning back against the counter.

"Ah, what a woman." He teased and glared at her as if she'd been bad.

She turned to the cupboard and handed him a cup of newly made coffee as her parents continued to rearrange the furniture in the living room. Elena's family was huge and everyone expected a seat at her birthday party, which had, had her dragging Damon out of bed - earlier than he'd liked and without naked time - and going over to her parents' house so that he could help carry chairs from the attic.

"I got you something, but unfortunately," Damon said apologetically, gulping down hot coffee before placing the cup on the counter. "Your present couldn't fit in a box so I just had him delivered to the front yard instead. I hope that's okay."

"Oh god, please no." She pleaded and pulled both hands through her hair. "No, Damon, just–– no. I'm serious. Don't tell me you bought the mini cooper?"

For a moment he thought her eyes would explode out of their sockets but he just shrugged. Nope. It wasn't the red mini cooper he'd promised not to buy for her birthday - though it would be delivered to the underground garage tomorrow morning, however, she didn't know that yet - this present wasn't as expensive as a car but still very valuable to his girl.

He'd planned the entire day - almost the entire day - with her family in mind. They would spend the day at her parent's house; starting with brunch, eating cake, opening presents, mingling, eating some more, but probably in totally different orders. The Gilbert's were always so carefree and schedules seemed to be banned from their house and at first, it had caused Damon to feel stressed out but over time, he'd accepted the fact that you didn't always have to have a plan for everything. His family had never just gathered everyone to hang out together so it was different and welcoming at the same time.

And after dinner at his place, Grayson and Miranda had lightened up around him. He'd actually started to enjoy their company, feel welcome at their house. The atmosphere was always so warm and yes, welcoming - unlike anything he'd ever experienced as a child. It caused him to feel some sense of security he'd missed out on and his chest ached a little as he thought about it.

"Nope." Damon shook his head at her.

"Then what?" Elena glanced over her shoulder, obviously wondering what he was currently up to. "Wait, you said him..?"

He eyed her with a suspicious grin and could see how she tensed under his gaze. The nervous expression on her face had him shrugging casually. Her parents chuckled in unison as Damon wiggled his eyebrows at her and she snorted.

"What are you up to?"

"It's a surprise." He cooed, steering her towards the door, Grayson, and Miranda following.

"I don't like surprises."

Oh, Damon was highly aware of that fact by now. They stepped out on the front porch and she chuckled as he spun her around so that she could see the tall figure strolling down the sidewalk, a huge duffel bag slung over his shoulder.

Damon could see her eyes widening with shock and pure, unsuspected happiness. Elena shrieked in astonishment and took off as Miranda quickly passed him and hurried after her!

Grayson stumbled behind him and moved to rest a heavy hand on his shoulder, gulped and stared at Damon in shocked disbelief.

"How did yo— I mean—" Grayson struggled to find words. "I don't understand h—"

"Let's just say—" Damon said cryptically and the older man blinked at him with glassy eyes. "I pulled some strings. I might've used my father's connections to get him home this week instead of next."

"I— I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. I just want her to be happy." Damon nodded towards Elena. "Go greet your soldier."

"Thank–– thank you." Grayson breathed before taking the front stairs in one big jump, heading towards his son, locking him, his crying wife and his daughter in a tight embrace.

After minutes of happy tears being shed, she walked over to him as he leaned back on the black chair placed at one of the sides of the porch. He could see the tears in her eyes as she practically plopped down in his lap, her legs ready to give up from under her.

"How did you..?" She whispered, trailing off as she bit her lower lip, stopping it from quivering.

Damon used his thumb to brush a streak of tears from her flushed cheeks and smiled at her. The happiness in her tone of voice, the look on her face; it all caused his insides to go all gooey and soft. She leaned her forehead to his, her nose pressing to the side of his as he inhaled her. She smelled so good, he was turning into a creeper. He wanted to smell her the first thing he did when coming home from a long day at the office. He wanted to wrap her up in his arms, rest his hands on her bump and kiss the back of her neck while asking about her day.

"I have my ways."

"Thank you." She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him so close that he felt as if his lungs were about to catch fire unless she didn't let him go so that he could inhale properly.

She buried her face in the crook of his neck, squirming in his lap as he locked his arms around her. Damon tensed and felt how his body responded to the light kisses she brushed across the side of his neck. He wanted to groan out loud as she bit down at the center where his shoulder and neck met one another. She let her tongue dart out to soothe the pinching bite of her teeth and goosebumps spread across his back, his grip tightening around her waist.

"Jeez, woman. You can't do that to me. Not right now."

"I like it." She mumbled against his neck. "When you call me a woman."

"Oh, really? It doesn't sound sexist?"

Damon grabbed her wrists and disentangled her arms from around his shoulders, peering into her eyes. Things had shifted between them since their night in his office. They were so tangled up in one another, synced, customized and he couldn't help himself from falling for her. He'd tried to stop it from happening but once he'd had her, he couldn't imagine himself ever wanting someone else in his bed. It should probably scare this shit out of him but it didn't. It felt as if he'd found a part he'd never known he'd been missing out on. Or maybe, it was the fucking sympathetic-pregnancy-couvade-shit-syndrome, ah fuck.

She brought him back to reality and away from his spiraling thoughts as she wiggled in his lap. Damon groaned again and sent her a stern look.

"I'm sorry." She pouted.

"No, you're not."

Elena shook her head, a grin plastered on her face as she got up. He eyed her as she stretched her arms above her head while eyeing her parents as they talked vividly to their son before hugging him for the hundredth time. Damon was glad that he'd managed to not just put a smile on Elena's face but on her parents' faces' as well. He'd never been much of a 'do-gooder' before but it felt nice.

* * *

 **ELENA**

"I'm surprised you haven't seduced him yet," Jenna whispered as they eyed the men that chatted while sipping on their beers while surveilling the grill and steaks. "He's ridiculously hot."

"Jenna!" Elena chided her aunt and looked over her shoulder, eyeing Damon as he talked to Ric and Jeremy. The three men seemed rather busy sipping on their beers, discussing something she couldn't make out. "Maybe I have."

"Are you serious?"

Elena blushed crimson as her aunt tapped her cheek in appreciation, humming with a satisfactory grin on her cute face before yelling at her pair of twins.

"Elena, please tell me you are serious? Because if you are you've got to give me some dirty details. I haven't had sex in months. Hold that thought, I'll be right back! Kids!"

Jenna took off after the two strawberry blonde whirlwinds and Elena snickered and smiled, resting a hand on her belly.

Elena had been slightly nervous to introduce Damon to the rest of the family – not that he didn't know how to behave – he was a gentleman, no doubt about it, but still – she wanted him to fit in with the rest of them.

Not to mention, she was beyond happy that Jeremy was finally home. She'd also feared that her brother would be the one to grill Damon during the barbecue, making sure his little sister was being well taken care of. Damon could obviously hold his own but, Jeremy knew how to interrogate people. To her surprise, Damon seemed to get along great with both Jeremy and aunt Jenna's husband, Ric.

* * *

 **DAMON**

"I swear, having a baby's the greatest."

"Yeah, but you got two for the price of one," Damon said, noticing how the dark haired man tensed up for just a brief second. He wouldn't have noticed the flicker in the man's eyes if he hadn't paid attention. He frowned for a second but dropped it quickly.

"True! Make sure to enjoy yourself while it lasts. Jenna's sex drive peaked during her pregnancy. She constantly wanted me. Man, that was awesome, but the throwing up, peeing, can't sleep, need to eat, ugh— I'm just telling you, enjoy the honeymoon phase." Ric sighed dreamily and gulped from his bottle.

"Honeymoon phase? You're married, you should be having more sex than anyone else on a regular basis."

"Uh, no. My sex life is pretty much nonexistent nowadays. You know, with two monsters running around the house, sex isn't exactly on the schedule, so to speak."

"Sorry, dude." Damon grimaced, not really knowing what to say to comfort the man.

Ric was a nice guy. Damon liked him, could even see himself hanging out with him – maybe have a beer, play some poker. He didn't understand the connection at first but Elena had explained that Dr. Flowers was related to Ric in some way, but honestly, he hadn't been paying much attention at that particular moment – since she'd been doing something very erotic with her hands.

"So, what about Elena?" Ric asked, sipping on his beer once again, glancing at his wife and Elena as the women talked to the twins.

"What about her?"

"Hey! Subject off limits." Jeremy interrupted, almost choking on his beer. "None of that, please! I'm her brother, the last thing I need to discuss is her sex life."

"I'm kidding." Ric laughed and put an arm around Jeremy's shoulders. "They're obviously banging, just look at that grin, Jer."

"Ah, man, fuck off." Jeremy shrugged and punched Ric's arm as he nestled away from him.

Ric was open about most things which was probably one of the reasons Jeremy bolted like lightning when he started talking sex and pregnancies on a much deeper level. Damon could understand that hearing about your aunt and sister's sex life wasn't on the agenda for anyone, so he couldn't blame the guy for running away from them.

* * *

Damon made his way through the living room and– What the fuck? Wrapped up in each other's arms, their lips locked in a fierce kiss, Damon gawked at the odd couple and cleared his throat as Jeremy and Caroline pulled away from each other.

He entered the kitchen. He was sure his jaw had just dropped to the floor in shock and confusion before Caroline glared at him, her hands placed firmly on her hips. He raised his eyebrows and tried not to smirk as he headed up the stairs to Elena's room. Ha, of course, her brother would need some female company after being overseas for so long but Caroline? That had been the absolute last chick he'd ever thought of being it for Jeremy Gilbert. But hey, he wasn't one to judge.

He knocked on the bedroom door and peeked inside. She was perched up on the bay window sofa and she smiled softly as he closed the door, giving them a little bit of necessary privacy. Her family was amazing in so many ways but it could definitely become overwhelming and much to take in.

Elena was beautiful in her green dress, the bump visible under the fabric, it protruded beautifully as she rested in silence. She looked up to meet his eyes. Duke wagged his tail when he noticed him, half asleep on the fluffy, oval-shaped carpet by her bed. Damon smiled and said good boy, as he passed the retriever.

He got to Elena within seconds and she moved to position herself once again as he sat down behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, inhaling deeply as she leaned her head back to rest on his shoulder, her back pressed to his firm chest, his legs on either side of hers.

"Are you okay?" He whispered in her ear as she sighed.

"I'm just tired."

He nodded and rocked her back and forth, almost soothingly, humming quietly. She melted into his embrace and he felt something ache in his chest but pushed it aside. Not now. He couldn't. Not yet. He tried to shift his thoughts and remembered what he'd seen just minutes earlier.

"Hey," He placed a kiss on top of her head, continuing to rock her gently. "What's up with Caroline and your brother?"

He smiled as she actually huffed, clearly unsurprised as he told her about what he'd seen – or, perhaps, interrupted – in the kitchen.

"Jer and Caroline used to have a thing before he– I mean, long before she even started working for my parents. They're almost the same age. I guess they never really let go of each other. At least not... completely."

"I didn't really think she was his type. He seems so calm and collected. She's, well– not to be rude but–"

"She's not his type."

"But?" He pressed on.

"But," She sighed. "I don't think we meet people by accident. Sometimes, I think people are meant to cross our paths for a reason. If I hadn't met your brother, you never would've found me."

"Mhm," He hummed and half snorted. "I'll always find you."

"That's not creepy or anything."

"Hey," He nudged her cheek and planted a kiss on it, nuzzling his face into the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent. "I mean it. You're mine."

He didn't really mean to sound so fucking possessive but he couldn't help it. She brought it out of him – he wanted to claim her openly for the rest of the world to see – she was his.

"I'd hoped you'd say that." She turned in his arms and captured his lips with hers, molding her mouth to his, eagerly searching his tongue.

Within the next couple of minutes, she was on her back, sprawled out before him, her panties pushed to the side as his fingers delved into her. He was on his knees before the bay window sofa and circled her clit with his tongue. She was wet, slippery, hot and tasted incredible as she writhed before him, craving his touch and the blissful orgasmic state that usually followed when they touched one another intimately.

He was hard as a rock and it was almost painful as she pushed at the back of his head, grabbing a fistful of his already messy hair. She panted his name and he contemplated stroking himself as he licked her but forced the thought to the side.

And, as much as he wanted to bend her over and plunge himself into her, bury himself to the hilt and never go back to a life without her – he just couldn't do it – not at her parents' house. It might sound corny but no, that was a line he simply couldn't and wouldn't cross. Besides, he wanted to work her over thoroughly, have her screaming his name in pleasure – and that wouldn't go over so well with twenty-five guests downstairs.

But, once they got home, she gave as good as she got.

* * *

 _Be kind enough to leave a review or just a smile =)  
Love, Quinn_


	11. Chapter 11: 24 weeks, part 1

**AN;** Thanks for reading and reviewing!

* * *

24 WEEKS, PART 1

ELENA

"Damon, this is not a yacht. It's more like a modern version of the Titanic."

"What are you talking about?"

"It's a ship. Do your parents own a ship? How rich are you? Okay, no, wait. Don't answer that. I don't want to know." Elena stared at him incredulously, unable to see through the hazy feeling of being slightly overwhelmed by all the glamour and luxury surrounding them.

He placed a hand on her lower back as he steered her through the lobby and towards their assigned suite.

"It's a very big... yacht." He shrugged.

"Monstrous is more like it." Ric chimed in as he pulled his wife away from the isle of windows, following them through the lobby.

Elena smiled at the couple.

It was nice of Damon to invite Ric and Jenna to come along on the little business-celebration trip that Mrs. Salvatore always planned for the company and its employees every year.

Elena knew that her aunt and her husband struggled to get time for themselves and just be together, so she hoped that a couple of childfree days would do them some good.

The married couple chatted away as they moved through the boat – yacht – ship – cruiser – whatever. Elena rolled her eyes at Damon's earlier and very vague answer and bit down on her lower lip. She'd known all along that he had more money than what he could spend during a lifetime, but, holy shit.

She was yet to meet Damon's parents and the nervousness had been kept away due to the fact that her aunt was there, letting her know that she would be right behind her if necessary.

But as the two couples parted to head into their separate suites, the eerie feeling of something coming her way caused her to feel sick and nauseous. The foreshadowing and deja vu was familiar, yet unfamiliar and unwelcoming. She wanted to spend time with Damon without worrying but it seemed like an impossible and slightly unimaginable task if the feeling didn't go away on its own.

She dropped her jaw as Damon steered her into their suite, an entire wall of glass overlooking the ocean had her mesmerized at the sight, light finding its way to the king sized bed on the other side of the room. It was spacious and grandeur, light colors that were easy on the eyes covered the walls and the bed had a beige comforter incredibly soft to the touch. Elena sighed in earnest and dropped her shoulders, stretching her neck.

At twenty-four weeks she'd started to feel tired every now and then, again. Her back ached from time to time and her feet felt like balloons at the end of the day. It was the beauty of growing a human being – so she was allowed to feel tired and misprogrammed. She was allowed to have a shitty day. Thankfully, those days didn't come around that often. There were days when she just wanted to plop down on the couch and cry, bawl her eyes out while eating a pint of ice cream. There were days when she just wanted to stay in bed, wrapped up in Damon's arms, enjoying the soft and sometimes rougher touch of his hands.

There were days when she'd spent a lot of time at the animal shelter, helping her parents at the vet station, talking to Caroline and hanging out with her brother as much as she possibly could without actually intruding or invading his personal space.

She'd felt uncertain as of late and she'd wavered ever so lightly but Damon hadn't seemed to notice any of it and she didn't mind him being slightly clueless.

She loved the late nights when they snuggled close after making love, murmuring against one another's lips, asking questions and spilling secrets. It felt intimate and so very private that the emotional rollercoaster would most likely threaten to throw her off at some point. Elena was emotional and it was hard trying to come to terms with everything, processing the world and the changes around her. It was just so overwhelming sometimes.

She still thought about the bleeding. There had been days where she'd feard going to the bathroom – afraid of finding blood in her underwear.

"Hey." Damon's voice reached her ears and a shiver ran down her spine. "You look a little pale. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She waved him off.

He'd started asking her the very same question ever so often since her bump had popped for real and there was no way to hide it behind oversized clothes anymore. Her feet felt a little swollen, her back felt sore and she was tired but other than that, she was somewhat, okay.

"We still have some time to just chill and hang out before getting ready for dinner. We could order some room service if you're hungry?"

She shook her head, knowing he meant well but she was way too nervous to actually speak, let alone form words that could be put into coherent and understanding sentences. Somehow, he could tell when something bothered her and it was scary – scary, that someone knew her so well that a single look at her could tell more than words ever would. That, someone, was Damon.

"What's wrong?" He crouched down in front of her as she sat down on the edge of the bed. "And don't lie to me because I can tell that there's something you're not telling me. Is it the baby? There's always two doctor's–"

"Can we just rest for a bit?"

"Yeah. Of course." He nodded. "Come here."

She let him gather her in his arms as they lay back down on the bed, the mattress and comforter so incredibly soft to the touch. She turned to the side so that she could rest her head on his chest, placing her right leg over his hip, the position helping to soothe the aching feeling in her lower back.

He wrapped his arms around her, slowly massaging her shoulders and back, rocking her back and forth as they stared at each other. She could've easily drowned in his oceanic blue eyes but found herself relaxing, her eyelids slowly falling shut.

Elena could feel the worry wash away from her body as he held her, could feel all the tense body parts loosen up at his hands' ministrations. There was nothing sexual about it as he sneaked one of his hands up under her shirt and massaged her hip and the hollow part of her lower back. His touch wasn't meant to get her all riled up and ready this time around – no, it was different. It was calming, soothing and reassuring. It was intimate and raw in so many ways and she closed her eyes completely, humming with both delight and in appreciation.

Elena groaned as he rubbed her skin and started to drift off into dreamland before saying anything else. The smell of his cologne, the soothing touch, and his calm breathing felt safe.

* * *

DAMON

He'd wanted to stay, hold her close to his chest and let her sleep in his arms for hours but his father had demanded his presence early and he'd tried his best to take a quick shower and change into a grey suit with a white shirt without making any noise. He'd watched her sleep for a minute or two. He'd kissed the top of her head before leaving the black box on the bedside table, hoping that she would wear the item hidden inside the velvety sachet.

Rose greeted him with her notepad pressed to her chest when he entered the room, as if ready to take notes if necessary. He wanted to ask her what the fuck she was doing there, wanted to ask her what she was actually thinking about, getting sexually involved with his father of all people! The young woman couldn't be much older than thirty. She had no idea what she was getting herself into. Whatever, it wasn't his problem to fix. She'd chosen her path and he would steer clear from it.

As for his notorious father; Giuseppe Salvatore sipped on the alcoholic liquid in his tumbler and huffed with clear annoyance radiating off of him in waves as Damon eyed him.

"Where's the girl?" Giuseppe questioned without looking at him.

"Where's Mom?"

"Damn it, Damon. Where is she?"

"She's resting."

"Resting? Why? Is she sick? Because if she is you have to tell her to get dolled up and play her part for the photographers. I told you she would have to make an appearance and act her part or this will all go to shit! For nothing! I told you he wouldn't understand the importance of it all, Rose."

Damon glanced at Rose and she blushed, averting her gaze. Ah, so that's why his father seemed so tense. He was actually worried that Elena wasn't with him. And good lord, that would - without a doubt - have the other partners wondering what the heck was going on, as they'd all heard about Giuseppe's oldest son being engaged and expecting.

Damon had to admit that a part of him liked the tortured look on his father's face but explained to him that Elena would be joining them for the soiree.

"Then, can you tell me why she's not married, carrying your last name and sporting a diamond ring yet?"

"What's with the interrogation?" Damon shoved his hands in his pockets, the tips of his fingers playing with the cold surface of his own engagement ring in white gold with a satin brush but a masculine touch to it.

"Damon, you know it's just an arrangement, treat it thereafter. We have to handle this like a business transaction. Keep her in the dark but show her to the public. Stake your claim so that no one can question the–"

"You don't have to remind me. I know what's expected of me."

Damon knew and simply nodded in agreement before leaving his father and a crimson colored Rose behind. He stopped just outside the door and put the ring on his finger. His father would get a show all right.

* * *

ELENA

Elena felt beautiful in her newly bought dress as she applied the last of her makeup. The dress was probably the most expensive piece of clothing she'd ever owned, it was way over the top with the navy blue color, the fabric soft and smooth against her skin, ending right above her knees. Caroline had helped her pick it out at one of the trendiest maternity stores downtown and yeah, okay, she had to admit that she did feel beautiful and sexy, but it was the thought of it costing more than she would ever be able to pay herself that had her itching.

The berry managed to kick her ribs and push her bladder, causing her to squeeze her legs together. Not that she thought that she would pee herself but you could never be too careful.

She glanced down at the piece of jewelry he'd left for her along with a scribbled note about meeting her down in the lobby. Her nerves continued to wreak havoc inside her and she was thankful that she hadn't devoured the piece of chocolate cake Damon had been so kind to order for her. It had been delivered an hour ago and looked so delicious that she found herself salivating just looking at it.

Her aunt had checked in with her ten minutes later to let her niece know that– Well, let's just say that Ric and aunt Jenna would be busy with other things and couldn't make it to the festivities. Elena had rolled her eyes and hugged her aunt. Jenna had admitted that they'd been so busy with everyday life and everything surrounding the twins, so it was nice to just get to spend some quality time together, order room service and eat without interruptions.

And as much as Elena wanted Jenna to be by her side once the Salvatore's finally met her - she couldn't stop herself from ushering her aunt out of the door and into Ric's waiting arms.

Now, all she wanted to do was find Damon and let him know just how much she loved the gift he'd left for her. However, it was way too big and she couldn't help but to feel spoiled and kind of bought at the sight of 'the thing'.

* * *

DAMON

Damon noticed her in the small crowd of people. The diamond ring on her finger sparkled as she intentionally waved at him. His heart leaped in his chest and something close to butterflies came to life in his body. He didn't do butterflies! She glowed with a newfound intense ferocity as she zeroed in on him. She pinned him with her doe eyes, didn't waver for a second. Elena took him by complete surprise and he realized he didn't give a shit about the people surrounding them.

He caught her as she walked straight into him, grabbed the back of his neck, pulled him close and planted a hard kiss on his mouth. He sneaked his arms around her waist, pulling her as close as possible without squashing the rounded belly. He was about to deepen the kiss with the swipe of his tongue against her lips when she pulled away, her arms still locked around his shoulders, her hands playing with the hair at the nape of his neck.

He would do – pretty much – anything to have her naked and bouncing on top of him right now. His hands placed firmly on her hips, his tongue swirling around a hardened nipple – ah, one could dream.

"I take it you liked the ring." He whispered against her lips, feeling a smile spread across her beautiful face.

"It's gorgeous."

"So are you. You look absolutely stunning if it isn't obvious. Everyone's staring at you."

"Don't say that. I'm nervous enough as it is."

"What are you nervous about?"

"Ric and Jenna are occupied so it's just the two of us meeting your parents. I'm meeting your parents."

"Occupied? What are they doing?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

She glared at him and he stole another kiss before releasing his grip on her as he caught sight of another familiar face. At first, he'd thought he'd imagined it but no. He froze, his arms going back around Elena's body. Damon gritted his teeth, his jaw clenching as he eyed the young man sauntering down the staircase to the main deck lobby.

He hadn't seen him in what felt like ages and nothing could've prepared him for this meeting. The green eyes pierced him like venom and he wanted to sneer. Elena noticed his cold expression and turned in his arms. She gasped and wiggled out of his embrace, clearly unsure of what to do or how to behave considering the coming situation.

"Hey, guys." Stefan eyed him wryly, his eyes wandering to Elena in her blue dress, the round belly showing through the fabric, letting the world know she was carrying a lucky man's child.

"You finally decided to come home." It was a simple statement, not a question but Stefan obviously interpreted it like one.

"Couldn't let you have all the fun now, could I?" He retorted and winked at a frowning Elena.

The flirtatious look and sound of his brother had him fisting his hands in order to stop himself from throwing the first punch. Damon could feel Elena tense and go almost rigid beside him as Stefan eyed her appreciatively, humming as he stopped at the enlarged bosom she sported nowadays. Damon wanted to break his little brother's jaw. He had no right to look at her like that. She wasn't his.

Stefan had no idea what he'd gone through the last couple of months. His baby brother had no idea how his life had changed, how he'd had to acclimate to another person living in his home, changing his schedule in order to fit with hers. Damon would gladly do it all over again but Stefan didn't know shit about it, so the superior look on Stefan's face had him fisting his hands to the point of his knuckles cracking.

"Last time I saw you, those weren't as prominent." Stefan pointed at Elena's chest. "And I don't remember you as fat. You've packed on some heavy pounds, haven't you?"

"Watch it," Damon growled low in his throat and glared at his little brother, sneaking a protective arm around Elena's waist, pulling her closer, his hand coming around to rest on the side of her belly, his fingers spreading across the fabric of her dress – protecting what he considered his.

He wanted to let her know that he was there and that nothing or no one would get the opportunity to lay a hand on her as long as he was around.

She leaned into his side, placing her hand on his back. Damon could feel her fingers dig into his clothing and he straightened, shouldering a protective stance.

"Ah, I see what's happening here." Stefan laughed and clapped his hands, a couple of people passing them with curious looks on their faces. "You let the other brother have a taste. Well, sharing is caring, right?"

Just as Damon was about to lose his shit altogether and throw the first punch, a firm hand landed on his shoulder. For a second, he'd expected it to be his father peeking over his shoulder, but the surprise he got was way better and truth be told – unexpected and welcoming.

"Hey man, I've been looking all over for you. " Alaric plastered a smile on his face and Damon could see how Jenna had crept up behind her niece. "Where can I get a drink that's not alcohol-free and coming from a champagne bottle?"

Damon could hear Elena inhale sharply as Jenna attempted to tug her out of his grip. At first, he refused to let go but when Ric tightened his grip on his shoulder, he let her slip away. She disappeared with Jenna – the strawberry blonde woman wrapping an arm around her niece's shoulders as they whispered to each other.

"Alaric Saltzman." Ric offered his hand and Stefan frowned.

Damon eyed his newfound best friend and growled once again when his brother laughed and refused to greet or even acknowledge the man standing in front of him. Ric just shook his head and almost shoved Damon out of the lobby steering him towards the stairs leading them to another floor, muttering under his breath as they left Stefan behind.

"I'll kick his ass, I swear!" Damon inhaled sharply and grabbed the back of his neck as they walked side by side through the spacious foyer they'd just entered.

"I know, I know," Ric assured and hurried to keep up with him. "Let's get a drink."

"What? No! You don't understand–"

"No, fine okay, maybe I don't!"

"So stay out of it!" He barked.

"I ditched my wife and a night of sex because I care about Elena as well as Jenna's happiness, okay?" Ric raised his hands in surrender. "We're on the same side."

Fuck. Damon shook his head, pulled a hand through his hair and groaned. Stefan was supposed to be in Los Angeles, why the fuck hadn't his father mentioned anything about his brother earlier? He felt like scolding his old man and slap the back of his head! Hard.

Geez, Elena had tensed up so badly that he'd been worried about her breathing for a second. Thankfully, Jenna had scooped in and the man standing beside him had done more for him in two minutes than any supposed friend ever had. All of a sudden, Damon felt like shit and found himself nodding in agreement.

"A drink it is then."

* * *

 **Please, be kind enough to leave a review or just a smile =)**

 **/Quinn**


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